Forever
by creddie cailey kogan supporter
Summary: The Friar family was finally complete. Through various ups and downs they managed to make it through together. And as Leslie opened his eyes to the world for the very first time Riley Matthews-Friar knew that her life story had finally been complete. But of course she had to remember how she had gotten there.
1. Prologue

**FOREVER:**

 **Ok so I will be running this story and my Girl Meets High School series together. They are both totally different plotlines and have nothing in common. Except that they are RUCAS endgame :) nothing against Lucaya shippers though I love both teams equally but Rucas just a little bit more.**

* * *

 **PROLOGUE: December 8** **th** **2027**

"Lucas…" Riley Matthews Friar whispered to her sleeping husband.

"Riles…" Lucas moaned. "It's way too early for me to make breakfast…" Lucas replied.

"No Lucas you don't understand…The baby…It's coming now…" Riley whispered.

"OH…" Lucas jumped out of bed. "OK we need to get you to the hospital immediately…"

"Babe it's the middle of winter and your still in your boxers…" Riley laughed through the obvious pain.

"Right…Riles I can't believe this…Both of my babies will be sharing the same birthday…"

"If we can get this one out in the next 24 hours we will…But I have to admit it would be pretty cute to share a birthday with your firstborn…" Riley smiled as Lucas helped her into the car.

"I just can't wait to see our little miracle for the first time…" Lucas said leaning down to kiss Riley's stomach. "Happy birthday baby…" Lucas whispered pulling Riley in for a passionate kiss before starting the car.

"Hey baby…"Riley whispered to her unborn child. "Me and your daddy can't wait to finally meet you…" Riley smiled to Lucas as he squeezed her hand gently. "And no matter how cruel this world is going to be I promise you me and your daddy are going to help you through it…"

"Cuz me and your beautiful momma have met the world…We've learned everything about the world thanks to your Grandpa Cory…And we can't wait for you to write your own story…Your going to be amazing…" Lucas added.

"And no matter how crazy this entire journey called life is going to be…I promise you nothing is going to change…We will always love you no matter what…" Riley added. "Now I think it's time that we get your adventure started shall we?" Riley said as Lucas pulled up to the front of the hospital.

"Ready or not here we go…" Lucas added as he ushered Riley into the warm hospital.

And for the next several hours Riley patiently waited for her little miracle to enter the world. It was 8 AM that day when Maya had walked in with Mr and Mrs. Matthews. Riley was thankful that it was a Saturday and that her dad didn't have to do any principal duties and that Maya was back in town after traveling the world writing for _Hit The Road_ which is a job given to her by Shawn and a job that she loved.

"Well this is turning out to be some birthday celebration huh?" Maya laughed engulfing Riley into a hug. "Happy birthday Riles…"

"How you holding up honey?" Cory asked.

"I'm almost there daddy…Just about three centimeters more…" Riley replied.

"It's days like these I wish you didn't become a nurse…" Cory laughed. "I can't believe that my two babies are going to be sharing the same birthday…"

"Give it up dad Riley's not your baby anymore…" Auggie stated walking into the hospital room. "Happy birthday sis…"

"Thanks Auggie…" Riley laughed. "Wait what are you doing out of school you don't have a free period at this time?"

"You think I would miss the opportunity to see you in pain? Fat chance…" Auggie laughed.

"Auggie be nice to your sister…" Topanga laughed. "She's going through a lot already we don't need to add to her stress levels…"

"Fine…I just came to say hello to my new niece or nephew but clearly I'm a little too early…"

"Won't be long now buddy." Lucas pointed out.

Lucas was interrupted when Riley's OBGYN Dr. Frenchie walked into Riley's hospital room. He walked in with a team of nurses ready to deliver the newest Matthews into the world. The rest of the family members waited outside the room to give Riley's medical team enough space. Lucas immediately was at Riley's side as he grabbed a hold of her hand.

"OK Riley looks like your just about ready…" Dr. Frenchie smiled.

"Are you ready Lucas…" Riley whispered.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life…" Lucas replied as he kissed Riley on the forehead.

"OK lets do this then…" Dr. Frenchie smiled at the couple.

Thirty minutes later Riley Matthews let out one more gigantic push and the sounds of crying suddenly filled the hospital room. Lucas could not wipe that smile off of his face as Riley sat up.

"Say hello to your new baby boy…" Dr. Frenchie said as he placed the newborn baby boy into the couples waiting arms.

"Lucas…We have a boy…Your dream came true…" Riley said kissing Lucas' cheek.

"My dream came true a long time ago…" Lucas said. "This little angel is just an added bonus…"

"You know I forgot to tell him what I was going to name him…" Riley pointed out.

"So what are you naming him Matthews?" Lucas asked.

"Leslie Adam Friar…" Riley smiled.

"You remembered?" Lucas asked shocked.

"Of course I remembered." Riley asked.

"Riles that was twelve years ago…I can't believe you actually remembered." Lucas laughed.

"I can change his name if you want me to…" Riley pointed out.

"No don't change it…He's perfect…Leslie Adam Friar…" Lucas whispered kissing Leslie on the forehead.

"Welcome to the world Leslie…" Riley whispered through tears in her eyes. "Me and your daddy have been waiting so long for you to get here…Twelve years to be exact."

"And those were the best twelve years of my life." Lucas smiled as he kissed his beautiful wife and baby once again. "Happy birthday babies…I love you so much…"

"We love you too…" Riley whispered happily.

The Friar family was finally complete. Through various ups and downs they managed to make it through together. And as Leslie opened his eyes to the world for the very first time Riley Matthews-Friar knew that her life story had finally been complete. And she couldn't wait to see how Leslie's story would go. But of course she had to remember how she had gotten there in the first place. As she pulled Lucas in for another passionate kiss she was reminded of her own story. Her journey to the happy ending she had today…


	2. Their First Kiss

**FOREVER:**

 _ **THEIR FIRST KISS-**_

It was a sunny June afternoon where most of the graduating students were currently sitting on stage in their caps and gowns. Riley Matthews and Farkle Minkus were currently walking away from the podium after being named this years co-valedictorians.

"Ladies and gentleman the graduating class of John Quincy Adams Middle school 2015." Principal Skinner announced as the eighth graders threw their hats in the air and cheered.

"Finally freedom!" Maya yelled happily as her and the rest of the gang walked out of the gymnasium.

"You do know we have another four years of high school left…" Farkle pointed out.

"Why do you ruin everything for me?!" Maya said angrily as she stormed off.

"She may be mad at me now but I know she loves me…" Farkle said walking off.

"When are those two finally going to realize that they are perfect together?" Lucas commented as he and Riley walked out of the school building for the final time. "I swear I can see those two married in the future…" Lucas laughed.

"You actually think those two will end up together?" Riley asked surprised.

"Well they are polar opposites but I know deep down that Maya has feelings for Farkle. She's just way too nervous to tell him about it." Lucas pointed out as they crossed the street.

"It's Maya we're talking about here she was never good at expressing her feelings." Riley added.

"That's true." Lucas smiled.

"So when are you heading off to Texas?" Riley asked.

"In two days…" Lucas sighed. "I really don't want to head back though…"

"But I thought you missed home." Riley wondered as they walked towards their awaiting subway car.

"I do but New York City is my home now. I didn't think I would like it here at first but now I'm really accustomed to it." Lucas sighed. "I'm going to miss all of you guys back here. Even Hart which is something that I never thought would happen."

"Think about it this way we're all going to be heading into High School in a couple of months…" Riley added. "We're all going to see each other then…And besides you'll be back in August we can hang out then." Riley pointed out.

"I guess that's true." Lucas sighed.

"And just so you know I'm going to miss you too Lucas…A lot…" Riley confessed.

"Good to know…" Lucas laughed. "Hey do you want to hang out tonight?"

"Sure…That reminds me…" Riley pulled an envelope out of her backpack. "I know the both of us have been dying to see _Wicked_ right?"

"I saw it back in Texas. And would gladly pay an arm and a leg to see it again…" Lucas laughed.

"Well I have two for tonight…" Riley smiled.

"Wait…Riles how did you get these? Tickets are impossible to get…" Lucas said in awe.

"Well you see my dad got these for me months in advance but he can't make it tonight because of a teacher conference and I was supposed to go with Maya but who are we kidding? She can't sit through a musical…" Riley laughed.

"That's true I still remember she started throwing popcorn at some dude while we were watching The Avengers last summer." Lucas laughed hysterically.

"Please don't remind me about that…We got kicked out when it was getting intense…" Riley sighed.

"Which is why the three of us decided to lie to her and tell her we were headed home but we really snuck around the diner to catch the next showing." Lucas started giggling uncontrollably. "I would love to go with you tonight."

"Yay! The show starts in a couple of hours want to head on over to the bakery to kill some time?"

"Sure. I'm done packing anyways let me just text my mom to let her know that I'm going out with friends tonight." Lucas said as he walked away for a few minutes.

As Riley saw Lucas walking away she knew in her heart that the way she viewed Lucas now had changed. She was madly in love with him. And she was worried that he wouldn't feel the same way about her. She had seen him talking to Missy Bradford a lot over the past two weeks. She tried to brush it off thinking that it was just friendly conversation. But then she remembered the last encounter with Missy. She was worried that Missy was stealing Lucas from her. And Riley didn't know what she would do without him.

"Hey Riles are you OK?" Lucas asked.

"What? Oh yeah I'm fine." Riley smiled back at him.

"You didn't look fine just now." Lucas said worried.

"Sorry I've just got a lot on my mind right now." Riley laughed. "You know the worrying about going to a new school the regular stuff."

"Why don't I believe you?" Lucas said crossing his arms.

"OK you got me…" Riley sighed. "But can we please sit down for this?"

"Riles you're starting to scare me. It must be something big." Lucas said as he took a hold of Riley's hands.

"Look Lucas. It's not such a big deal…But maybe it is. Depends on how you take this news…" Riley began.

"Try me…" Lucas stated.

"OK…" Riley took a deep breath. "Over the past two weeks, I've been starting to have these feelings towards you. And I knew there was something different. But I wasn't exactly sure what it was…But over the past two days it finally hit me. Like a rush of wind it finally opened my eyes…" Riley continued. As she took a look at Lucas she saw his deep green eyes listening intently. "I'm in love with you Lucas…I think I always have been but it's been a lot more clearer now."

"Wait this is what you were all worried about?" Lucas laughed.

"How is this funny?" Riley asked kind of offended.

"Because I find it freaking adorable that you were afraid of telling me how you feel." Lucas began. "And you honestly had nothing to worry about." Lucas continued. "Because I have strong feelings for you too. I'm not sure if it's love yet. But I definitely do have strong feelings towards you."

"But what about Missy?" Riley asked confused.

"What about her?" Lucas asked.

"Oh come on Lucas I'm not blind. I've seen the two of you spending a lot of time together over the past two weeks." Riley added. "And don't make me bring up what had happened last year."

"Riles there is absolutely nothing going on between me and Missy. She's been the one always coming up to me…" Lucas confessed. "And I could never fall for her…My heart belongs to somebody else."

"Who?" Riley asked nervously.

"You…" Lucas said with a smile as he cupped Riley's cheeks.

"Wow…" Riley said dreamily.

"I promise you. You will always have my heart OK? Forever…" Lucas said.

It was Lucas' turn to be surprised as Riley immediately pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Riley slowly brought her hands to the back of Lucas' neck as Lucas closed his eyes happily and returned the kiss with just as much passion. The both of them broke the kiss after a couple of minutes. The both of them had a dopey grin on their faces. They could have never been more happier than that moment.

"Wow…" Lucas smiled. "I wasn't expecting that."

"I'm just so glad that you still have feelings for me. I thought they died down as time went on." Riley confessed as she snuggled into Lucas.

"To be honest with you I don't think they could never fully go away." Lucas smiled.

"That's good to know…" Riley smiled as she hugged Lucas. "Cuz I never want them to go away."

"I promise they won't." Lucas smiled. "Ok I don't know about you but I think we should make this official…" Lucas said standing up.

"What do you mean?" Riley asked confused.

"Well I haven't formally asked you out on our second official first date yet…So Riley Matthews…Would you like to accompany me for a New York City hot dog and a walk around central park before the show starts?" Lucas laughed.

"I would love to…"Riley laughed as her and Lucas walked out hand in hand.

Four hours later the new couple walked out of the Gershwin Theatre with gigantic smiles on their faces. It was one of the best first dates that Riley Matthews had ever been on an she was lucky that it had been with Lucas. As they walked back towards Riley's apartment Lucas took a hold of Riley's hand.

"Thank you…" Lucas smiled.

"For what?" Riley played along as she wrapped her arms around Lucas' neck once again.

"For making this the most enjoyable first date that I've ever been on in my entire life." Lucas stated as he pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

"Well it was pretty memorable for me too." Riley smiled.

"I'm gonna miss you these next couple of months." Lucas whispered as he pulled Riley close to him.

"I'm going to miss you too. But I promise you there are going to be more dates waiting once you come back." Riley smiled.

"I'm looking forward to them." Lucas smiled.

"But I do want to make sure you won't forget about me…" Riley smirked as she pulled Lucas in for one more passionate kiss.

"Oh trust me I won't forget about you now…" Lucas sighed.

"Good." Riley smiled.

Over the next two months that Lucas was away, the two love birds were texting each other non-stop and FaceTiming each other whenever they had free time at night. It made the distance from each other a lot more bearable. Cory had to admit, Lucas Friar was the perfect guy for his daughter. He never thought he would say that but he had to face the fact that she was growing up. And there really was nothing he could do about it. Soon enough, it was the middle of August and Lucas was due back into the city that week. He had stopped texting Riley so he would be able to surprise her. So one evening while Riley was closing up Topanga's on a Saturday night. He smiled to himself knowing that Riley was all his. He silently opened the door and shut it silently. He sneaked up behind his amazing girlfriend and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey city girl…" He whispered kissing her forehead."

"Lucas! Your back!" Riley said excitedly throwing her arms around him. "I missed you." Riley mumbled into his chest.

"I missed you too Riles…" Lucas laughed.

"So how was your flight back?" Riley asked.

"Tiring but I'm all better now…" Lucas smiled. "Now what do you say about a picnic in Central Park?"

"I would love to just let me finish closing up." Riley commented as she finished cleaning off the tables.

After a couple of minutes Riley closed the lights in the bakery and took Lucas' hand as Lucas pulled her close. This past summer the two of them learned the most important lesson, they could get through anything as long as they were together.


	3. Their First Baby

**ThaFOREVER:**

 _ **Thanks so much for the amazing reviews guys =) keep on reading on...**_

* * *

 _ **THEIR FIRST BABY…**_

It was a snowy Christmas Eve in the city as Riley finally placed the star on top of the Christmas Tree. It was the morning of the annual Christmas party and her family and friends were going to be joining them as usual this year. She was particularly excited that Lucas would be joining them for the first time this year. He normally went home to Texas to celebrate Christmas however with finances tight he wouldn't be able to make it home this year. Riley had to smile as thoughts of her amazing boyfriend filled her mind. It had been an incredible six and a half months together, and Riley couldn't have asked for a better and smoother relationship. She was taken out of her train of thought once she heard the buzzer.

"Let me in Matthews it's freezing out here!" Maya yelled.

"I think she means us!" Zay added.

"Would you quit pushing we're all going to get in eventually!" Farkle yelled.

"I have the right to push I want to see my girlfriend!" Lucas argued.

"Guys your all heading up at the same time…" Riley laughed as she let up her group of friends.

"There here early…" Cory laughed.

"Well we wanted to exchange presents before dinner." Riley pointed out.

"That's nice honey…" Topanga said as she fixed her hair.

Just as soon as Topanga left the bathroom the door to apartment 26 flew open as Lucas ran straight for Riley. He hadn't seen her since school had let out two weeks ago. But the two have been constantly texting each other and of course their daily FaceTime chats.

"Lucas I just talked to you for like two hours his morning…" Riley laughed.

"Yeah but not in person…" Lucas pointed out bringing Riley in for another bone crashing hug.

"Ugh you two are so cheesy it makes me wanna barf…" Maya commented while sitting down on her usual spot on the couch.

"You know Maya me and Mrs. Matthews were exactly the same way when we were their age…Even worse actually." Cory laughed.

"You know I never really understood the whole love thing…" Zay commented while he sat down next to Riley and Lucas.

"That's cause your always chasing after a different girl every day." Maya laughed.

"You know you may be onto something Hart…" Zay laughed.

"It's a complicated emotion which is why I don't want to invest in it…" Maya stated as she turned on the television.

"Not even with me?" Farkle joked.

"Especially not with you Dr. Farklestein…" Maya laughed.

"Your gonna fall for me eventually…No matter how much you deny it." Farkle smirked.

"In your dreams…" Maya rolled her eyes throwing her attention back to the television.

The group of friends were brought out of their normal banter when they once again heard the buzzer go off.

"Hey family I finally made it!" Josh yelled through the speaker box.

"Now that's someone who I can see myself falling in love with…" Maya smirked.

"Maya you need to get off of this. Josh is in college now I just don't see it happening." Cory laughed as he let his younger brother up.

"What don't you see happening?" Josh asked as he walked into the apartment.

"You see Maya still has this crazy idea stuck in her head that the both of you can actually be an item…" Riley laughed joining her friends on the couch.

"Well she does seem to have grown a couple of inches…" Josh stated.

"OK we're done talking about this…" Cory stated.

As time passed, the group enjoyed each others company sitting on the living room couch and sharing stories about their high school and college lives. Josh had to admit, Maya did look a lot more attractive. But the age difference was still killing his conscience. But age was just a number right? His mom and dad were three years apart themselves and they were still in love. Speaking of his parents another knock at the apartment door signaled that they were there.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Auggie ran to the door once again to greet his grandparents.

"Are they going to kill me?" Lucas whispered nervously to Riley.

"Of course not sweetie…" Riley giggled. "There going to love you…"

"Unless your dad started telling them about my life in Texas…" Lucas whispered back.

"He wouldn't do that he actually likes you now…" Riley replied back.

Soon enough Alan and Amy Matthews entered the apartment and immediately engulfed Auggie into a hug. There was no doubt that they had loved that little dude just a little bit more than Riley

"Riley look at you…" Amy said engulfing her granddaughter into a hug. "You've gotten so pretty over the year…" Amy laughed.

"Hey I got it from my mom…" Riley joked.

"And you must be Lucas Friar…" Alan smiled. "It's nice to finally meet the young man who has my granddaughters heart."

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you…" Lucas said politely shaking their hands.

"Cory what did you have a problem with? He's a perfect gentleman." Amy scolded her son.

"He had a massive crush on my little girl I saw him as a threat before…" Cory pointed out.

"Glad that's over with…" Alan laughed.

"You and me both Grandpa…You and me both…" Riley laughed. "I told you they would love you…" Riley whispered to Lucas.

"I'm just glad they didn't kill me like your dad almost did…" Lucas laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. "Hey I want to give you your Christmas gift at midnight in private. Think you can walk with me through Central Park later?"

"I would love to…" Riley replied kissing her loving boyfriend on the cheek.

"I will never get tired of you doing that." Lucas giggled.

"Ugh there at it again…" Zay moaned covering his eyes with a pillow.

"Just kill me…Just kill me now…" Maya complained.

The gathering soon moved towards the dining room where Topanga once again whipped up another remarkable meal surprisingly. Amy had to give her the credit, she had done great work with hosting the holidays that she was always looking forward to them each year. Soon enough, it was time to exchange presents.

"I'll give you your present at midnight as well…" Riley whispered to Lucas.

"Looking forward to it…" Lucas added as he gave her a small kiss on her lips. "I've been waiting to do that all day." Lucas laughed.

"Ok my turn…" Topanga added. "Now this one just isn't for you Cory…This is for my entire family."

"What do you mean mommy?" Auggie asked curiously.

"Well it's a very special present but it's going to take nine months to get here Auggie…" Topanga smiled.

"Mom…your pregnant?" Riley said happily.

"Three weeks today… Topanga said with tears already starting to form in her eyes.

"Wow…" Cory added. "This is the best Christmas present I could have ever asked for…" Cory smiled. "Wow…I'm going to be raising three children soon…" Cory said in awe.

"Congratulations honey we're so happy for the both of you…" Allan said hugging the both of them.

"Thanks dad…" Cory smiled.

"Wow Riles you get to have another sibling huh?" Maya laughed. "I'm glad I get to have another Matthews to bother." Maya joked.

"Don't even think about turning my baby into a rebel…I have you for that." Cory pointed out.

"Oh come on…It'll be fun…" Maya laughed.

"I'm actually siding with my dad on this one…" Riley pointed out. "I'm going to make sure that they turn out perfect just like me and Auggie…"

"Now that's more like it…" Cory laughed.

"You guys are literally not fun…" Maya laughed.

* * *

It was a quarter to twelve as the group of friends had now headed home Riley had told her parents that she was going to walk Lucas back to his condo. They were surprisingly fine with it. Riley smiled as Lucas placed his hand in hers as they walked through Central park.

"You know I should convince my mom to spend the holidays here in the city from now on. I had such an incredible time with your family tonight." Lucas laughed.

"Well it was definitely more enjoyable with you there." Riley smiled back at him.

"Well the celebration isn't over yet…" Lucas smirked as he pulled out Riley's present from his messenger bag. "I still have to give you this."

"I have to give you this too…" Riley smiled as she pulled out a box from her jacket.

"Ladies first…" Lucas smiled.

"OK…Well I think your definitely going to love this…" Riley smirked as she placed the box in Lucas' hands. "Merry Christmas sweetheart…"

Lucas excitedly opened the box wondering what it was. He had to gasp in shock when he saw what lay inside the black velvet box. It was the exact watch that he had seen in the jewelry store a couple of weeks back. He had stopped himself from buying it because it was way too pricey.

"Riles I can't believe this…How did you even know I wanted this?" Lucas asked.

"I saw you looking at it a couple of weeks ago when we went to the movies…" Riley replied.

"It's an exact replica of my Papi Joe's watch which is why I wanted it so bad…Thank you Riles…You have no idea how much this means to me…" Lucas smiled.

"Anything for you…" Riley replied.

"Ok now it's my turn to wow you…Hopefully…" Lucas smiled as he handed Riley a small rectangular box.

"I'm sure I'm going to love it…" Riley smiled.

Riley opened up the rectangular box and found a silver locket inside. She smiled it was the most beautiful locket that she had ever laid her eyes on.

"Turn it over…" Lucas smiled.

And sure enough there on the back was their names engraved. _R &L Forever_. Riley had to stop herself from crying happy tears. She immediately took the locket out of it's box and put it around her neck. As she opened it she couldn't help but laugh. Lucas had put the picture of their date to the high school freshman dance inside.

"Your right…" Riley said as she wrapped her arms around Lucas' neck. "I love my present…"

"I love mine too…" Lucas whispered back. "Merry Christmas Riles…"

"Merry Christmas Lucas…" Riley smiled. As she was about to lean in and kiss Lucas they were interrupted when they heard a small whimpering coming from the bushes behind them. "Is it just me or do I hear some sort of whimpering?"

"No…I hear it too…" Lucas pointed out.

The both of them went to see what was making the noise and what they found absolutely broke their hearts. They had found a stray puppy. It was a small husky and it had an injured paw and snow was already starting to cover the poor puppy's head.

"Aww who would leave this cute little guy outside in the cold?" Riley wondered.

"Idiots… Heartless idiots…" Lucas replied.

"He doesn't seem to have a tag on him…" Riley pointed out.

"And it looks like he hurt his paw severely…" Lucas added.

"That's it…I'm going to take him home so I can take care of him…If nobody wants him I will gladly take care of this sweet little guy…"

"And I'll come over tomorrow to help out with that paw…" Lucas smiled. "He can be our first official "baby"" Lucas laughed.

"I like that idea…" Riley smiled. "But what should we name it?"

"First of all it's a he…" Lucas pointed out. "And I think we should name him after our favorite Disney character…"

"Woody?" Riley laughed.

"Why not? We found him near the woods it's perfect…" Lucas laughed.

"It is…" Riley added. "Don't worry Woody. We'll take good care of you…"

The next day Woody had gotten accustomed to Apartment 26. Cory and Topanga had immediately fallen in love with the newest member of the Matthews family. But of course, no one had loved Woody more than the two teens who had gave him a new life. As Riley clipped on his collar for the first time she had to smile. She would make sure that Woody would have the best life possible with Lucas' help of course.


	4. Their Plans

**FOREVER**

 _ **THEIR PLANS:**_

It was a rainy February evening as Riley Matthews finished zipping up her coat. It wasn't any ordinary February night, it was Valentine's Day. Lucas was going to pick her up from her apartment in about fifteen minutes. As Riley put on the beautiful charm bracelet that Lucas had bought her for her birthday she couldn't help but smile, eight amazing months with the love of her life had flown by so quickly. She was brought out of her thoughts when she saw Farkle knocking on her bay window.

"Hey Farkle I wasn't expecting to see you…" Riley said surprised.

"I'm freaking out Riley freaking out…" Farkle said as he climbed inside.

"Ok calm down Farkle what are you so freaked out about?" Riley asked confused.

"It's Smackle…You see Einstein Academy is having a Sadie Hawkins dance tonight…"

"Aww Farkle your first official date!" Riley clapped.

"Don't make this more embarrassing than it already is…I'm getting sweaty…And Farkle only sweats this much when he's nervous…" Farkle said in a massive jumble.

"OK Farkle first you need to calm down….Second just be yourself. Isadora loves you for who you are so you don't need to be nervous. Besides you've hung out with her alone for several months now. Think of this like you two hanging out in person." Riley explained.

"Thanks for calming me down Riles…I knew I could count on you…Well I tried to go to Maya's first but she just shut her bedroom curtains on me…" Farkle explained.

"That's Maya for you…" Riley laughed. "Now go out there and have fun Farkle…" Riley encouraged. "Oh and I expect a full report…" Riley laughed.

"No worries I'll be at your window quarter to eleven when you come back from your date…" Farkle laughed.

"I'm looking forward to it…" Riley smiled.

As Farkle headed out the window once again Riley made her way to the living room where she saw her parents on the way out to their Valentine's Day date as well.

"Off to Baha Sushi again?" Riley questioned.

"You know it…" Topanga smiled. "You look beautiful sweetie…"

"Thanks mom…" Riley blushed.

"Now we expect you home before eleven thirty OK? Auggie may wake up around that time and we need you to look out for him." Cory explained. "And the money to pay the babysitter is sitting on the kitchen table." He explained.

"Gotcha…Now go have some fun you two…" Riley said as she began pushing both of her parents out of the apartment.

Riley had to smile to herself as she shut the door. Her parents had the ultimate love story and she was happy that she now had the opportunity to write her own. Riley grinned as she heard the speaker box go off.

"Hey Riles it's me…" Lucas said through the speaker box.

"I'll be right down…" Riley replied as she picked up her purse and slipped Lucas' gift inside.

As Riley looked at herself in the mirror one more time she had to smile. She was wearing Lucas' locket that he had given her and a simple red dress. She slipped on her leather jacket and headed down the stairs ready to spend some much needed alone time with her boyfriend. The both of them were now swamped with homework in their second semester of high school. On the bright side, the both of them had the exact same schedule so they sat beside each other every single class.

"Wow…You look…Wow…" Lucas managed to say.

"You don't look so bad yourself…" Riley smiled.

"I'm so happy that we have some alone time together…We've been swamped with work…" Lucas stated taking Riley's hand.

"We needed this trust me…I think I was going to go insane if the teachers decided to load us with more homework…"Riley laughed.

"Well we will for sure be using this night to not only celebrate ourselves but to hang loose too…" Lucas laughed as he pulled out a blindfold from his pocket.

"Your not seriously going to blindfold me are you?" Riley sighed.

"Sorry babe I gotta." Lucas laughed.

"You better not make me run into anyone or anything or you're a dead man Friar." Riley laughed.

"I promise we're not going far…" Lucas kissed Riley's cheek before expertly guiding her through the busy New York City streets.

"Then where are we headed?" Riley giggled.

"Your gonna find out in about three seconds…" Lucas said as he kissed Riley passionately while removing her blindfold at the same time.

"Sardi's Lucas how can we possibly afford all of this?" Riley asked shocked.

"I got a gift certificate for a free meal for two…" Lucas pointed out.

"Well aren't you the sweetest boyfriend ever?" Riley giggled.

"I try my best…" Lucas laughed.

Riley happily took Lucas' hand as the both of them made their way into the restaurant. They both enjoyed each others company. Throughout dinner the both of them exchanged sweet kisses which Lucas actually enjoyed. Everything about Riley was perfect and he continuously had to remind himself that she was all his and nobody else's.

"You've been awfully quiet…" Riley said over desert.

"Sorry I just can't help but admire how beautiful you look with the candlelight…" Lucas laughed.

"You are such a cheeseball…" Riley laughed throwing a piece of bread at Lucas.

"Hey I speak the truth…Sometimes I need to remind myself that your actually my girlfriend…" Lucas stated. "It's kind of surreal that someone like you could actually fall for someone like me…."

"Well it's happened that's for sure…I thought I was the only one who was in denial here…" Riley admitted.

"This is how you know we're perfect for each other…" Lucas laughed.

"You really think so?" Riley questioned.

"Of course I do…" Lucas pointed out. "You know how I know we're perfect for each other?"

"How?" Riley questioned.

"I can see our future together…" Lucas pointed out.

"Do you really? So what do you see in our future Mr. Friar?" Riley asked.

"Well first I see us going to the same college together. Then, when we are both done with our undergraduate degrees, I see the both of us being married by the time we're 23. And then we can focus on our careers. Me as an established veterinarian here in the city…"

"Hold up…You see yourself living in New York City? I always thought you wanted to move back to Texas." Riley pointed out.

"That was before you came along and changed everything Riles…" Lucas stated.

"So what else do you see?" Riley questioned as she fed Lucas some of her cheesecake.

"Well after we get married at 23, I see the both of us working on our careers and our masters degrees for about a year until we decide to settle in…And then when we're 24 we can try to get pregnant. We're both going to be successful and we'll both be financially stable at the time so we should ready…And then…" Lucas smiled taking her hand. "Before our baby comes along I see us owning one of those beautiful houses in Manhattan. It's not too far away from the city and besides, those houses are big enough so we have enough room for Maya's room…" Lucas laughed.

"So what do you think our first born is going to be?" Riley questioned.

"I think it's going to be a boy…" Lucas smiled. "I got a name picked out too…" Lucas laughed uncomfortably.

"You named our unborn baby boy already?" Riley smiled already touched that Lucas had took the extra step.

"I know it's lame…" Lucas sighed.

"No…It's not lame…I think it's beautiful…So what did you want to name our first born baby boy?"

"Leslie…Leslie Adam Matthews-Friar. It was my Grandfather's name." Lucas pointed out.

"I love it…" Riley said in her high pitched voice that Lucas had grown to love.

"Wait you seriously like it?" Lucas said shocked.

"Of course I do…It's a beautiful name for a precious little boy that's going to be ours someday." Riley smiled.

"I just always thought that you would be the one to pick out the names and I would just go with it." Lucas laughed.

"This is a collaborative relationship of course your opinions matter…But to be fair I get to name our first born girl deal? I already have a name in mind too…"

"And what is our first baby princess going to be named?" Lucas wondered.

"Brandi…" Riley replied.

"Brandi Matthews-Friar has a nice ring to it…" Lucas smiled.

"You think so?" Riley asked.

"Of course I do…It's a perfect name for my baby girl." Lucas smiled taking her hand. "I can't wait for our future together Riles. I have a feeling it's going to be perfect."

"I can't wait to see what happens either." Riley smiled.

"So what do you see in our future?" Lucas wondered.

"I see everything that you just said. I see a wonderful life with you and our three children living in the city, in a fantastic neighborhood that they can all grow up in. Of course you would own one of the most prestigious vet clinics in the country and as for me…I'll be saving lives each and everyday as a Nurse Practioner." Riley pointed out. "You know every little girl growing up always has that dream of what their future would be like. And honestly, I can't wait to get started on it."

"And I can't wait to be on that long journey with you. Sure we're going to go through a lot but there is one thing that I know for sure…I want exactly what you just described…I want a future with you…"Lucas smiled.

Riley leaned over the table and pulled Lucas in for a meaningful kiss that would for sure seal their future together. The both of them had amazing plans and goals in their lives that were ahead of them, but they were ready to face them head on. As long as they stayed together.

* * *

Riley entered apartment 26 promptly at 11:30 and happily paid babysitter. She sneaked into Auggie's bedroom to see if he was still asleep. She had to smile to herself once she noticed his sleeping form already off to dreamland. Riley gave him a quick kiss on the forehead before he made his way towards her bedroom. And like Farkle said, he was there waiting for Riley at the bay window. Riley had to smile as she noticed that he was wearing a matching grin.

"So I take it your night went as well as mine did didn't it?" Riley asked.

"It sure did…" Farkle smiled.

"So no more awkwardness between you and Smackle?" Riley asked.

"Nope I'm perfectly cured now…" Farkle said proudly.

"I told you all you needed to do was be yourself. I'm glad you had a great time Farkle. But here's a question what's next for the both of you?" Riley asked.

"Well you never know but I'm not in a rush or anything like that." Farkle pointed out.

"That's good to know…" Riley replied.

"But what I do know is I'm pretty sure the world is changing for the both of us in the love department." Farkle laughed as he made his way home.

With Farkle gone Riley laid on her bed and thought back to the hopes and dreams that she had made with Lucas that night. Riley was so confused as to why her heart was beating so quickly whenever they talked about their future together. She knew that her relationship had reached new heights that night but she just wasn't sure what that meant exactly. Woody trotted up to her bed and Riley smiled as she took the small puppy into her arms.

"Hi baby…" Riley whispered. "You want to know a secret? I think me and your daddy's relationship has just gotten stronger tonight." Riley began. "I'm not really sure what that means yet exactly or what is next down the line but what I do know for sure…We're definitely not the same people that we used to be before I left on this date…You know what? I'm just going to flat out say it…I think I'm in love….No…I am in love with Lucas Friar…Deep in love…" Riley said with pure bliss.


	5. Their First I love You

_**Forever**_

 **Ok time for some seriousness around here...Life can't always be filled with happiness...**

* * *

 _ **Their First "I Love You"**_

Lucas Friar was pacing back and forth outside of the Matthew's apartment. He had just found out that his Pappy Joe was in a critical state and he needed to head home to Texas as soon as possible. But the biggest problem was that he needed to leave the week of his first year anniversary with Riley. He wasn't upset that his Pappy Joe could die, he was more upset that he wouldn't be able to spend time with his favorite girl and spend their special date together. Because to be honest, this had been the best year of Lucas' life.

"Lucas?" Riley said shocked. "Hi babe what brings you by so early I was supposed to meet you at the bakery so we could head down to the movies with everyone later on this afternoon." Riley said bringing Lucas in for a hug.

"I so needed that hug…" Lucas said sadly.

"Babe is something wrong?" Riley asked.

"Princess I just got some horrible news…" Lucas said sadly. "It's my Pappy Joe. It seems that he's in a really critical condition because of his lung cancer…I need to head home to Texas." Lucas confessed.

"Oh Lucas I'm so sorry…Why don't you head on up with me I can order us a pizza and call our friends over to make you feel better." Riley suggested.

"I would actually really love that." Lucas confessed.

"I know how hard this must be for you. I remember how close you were to him when we were in Texas last year." Riley commented.

"He was the closest thing to family I could have asked for. Even when I made bad decisions he was always there to support me and give me that extra boost I would need to know that everything is OK." Lucas confessed.

"I could tell." Riley said pulling Lucas into a hug as the both of them sat down on the Matthews sofa.

Woody could sense that something was definitely off with his "papa". The minute his "family" walked through the apartment he noticed that Lucas looked quite sadder than usual. So of course, he did what every single puppy would do in this situation. He trotted over to Lucas and pawed at his leg. Lucas looked down to see Woody at his feet looking up at him with his hazel brown eyes. Lucas picked him up easily and hugged the small six month old puppy.

"Hi baby…" Lucas whispered.

"Is everything OK Riley?" Topanga asked walking over to the duo.

"No mom…Lucas just found out his grandfather might not make it." Riley confessed.

"Lucas sweetie I'm so sorry." Topanga said pulling Lucas in for a comforting hug. "Listen if there is anything that we can do to help we will gladly help out."

"If it's OK with you Mr. and Mrs. Matthews I would like Riley to come with me to the funeral. I don't think I would be able to make it through the funeral alone." Lucas confessed.

"We'll all go home with you me, Farkle, Maya, and Zay. Your never alone Lucas." Riley said kissing his cheek.

"You would really give up the first few weeks of summer vacation just so you could fly home to Texas again?" Lucas asked.

"You are way more important to me than spending my first summer in the city. I would much rather be there for you." Riley replied.

"Thank you Riles. You have no idea how much that means to hear you say that." Lucas smiled through his tears.

"Of course…" Riley replied.

Thirty minutes later Farkle walked into the apartment and joined Riley and Lucas sitting on the couch. He had heard about what had happened to Lucas' Pappy Joe and he immediately ran over to Riley's apartment.

"Lucas I'm so sorry about what's happened." Farkle said sadly. "Your pappy Joe was a good person…"

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up buddy." Lucas smiled sadly. "But I think it's going to be a while before I can fully accept that he might pass away."

"And that's normal Mr. Friar." Cory said walking towards the group.

"Sir why do things like this happen in life?" Lucas asked innocently.

"It's the circle of life Mr. Friar. And no matter how much we hate to see it end, it happens. All we can really do is grieve and try our best to remember them for the good person that they were." Cory explained.

"I just can't believe he might actually be gone. He was the closest thing to a father to me…And I just can't imagine what might have happened if he didn't raise me to be the person who I am…" Lucas said heartbroken.

"You would have been fine Lucas. I'm sure your mom would have raised you right…" Topanga pointed out.

"I guess that's true…" Lucas sighed.

"Just remember your not going to be alone. You never will be. If you need any of us we'll always be here for you." Farkle added.

"No matter what." Riley smiled.

"Thanks for making me feel a little better you two. I'm glad I could have such amazing people like you two in my life…" Lucas commented.

"Daddy do you mind if I head back to Texas with Lucas?" Riley asked,

"Of course not honey. I can book you kids your plane tickets as soon as possible." Cory added while walking over to his computer.

"Thank you Riley…" Lucas hugged her.

"For what?" Riley asked.

"For being here for me…" Lucas finished.

* * *

The next afternoon the gang all returned to Lucas' family home in Texas. As soon as Riley walked into the house she noticed that absolutely nothing had changed. Everything was still in the same place just as it was a year ago.

"It's like we never left…" Maya commented.

"Yup Papi Joe never did like change…" Lucas laughed.

"Lucas…" A middle aged woman walked into the living room.

"Hi Aunt Em…." Lucas went to hug his aunt.

"Thank you for flying out so soon. You know you ma and pa can't make it into town in time so I'm sure Pappy Joe will be glad to see you…" She smiled.

"Is he here?" Lucas asked.

"He's in the bedroom sweetie…" She replied. "Why don't you head in there while I fix your friends something to eat. Ya'll must have been real hungry on the flight over here."

"Riles do you mind coming with me? I don't think I could handle seeing him alone in this state." Lucas asked.

"Of course." Riley replied.

Lucas smiled as he took Riley's hand and lead her towards his grandfather's bedroom. Even though he was in a bad mood, he couldn't help but be grateful to have this amazing girl by his side. Riley Matthews was always there for him no matter what. And she was always there for the biggest moments in Lucas' life. So he thought that he would need her to be there for this. As Lucas was about to open the door he felt Riley give his hand a comforting squeeze letting him know that she was there. He took a deep breath and opened the door. But what laid beyond the door absolutely broke Lucas' heart. He saw his Pappy Joe lying on the bed asleep. He looked so pale and so fragile. Lucas knew that he didn't have much time left but he couldn't help but feel selfish. He didn't want his Pappy to be gone.

"Are you Ok?" Riley asked him.

"I think I'm just gonna need a minute." Lucas confessed. "I just haven't seen him like this before."

"Take as long as you need babe…I'm here…" Riley whispered comfortingly.

Lucas nodded as he walked towards his grandfather's bedside. He pulled up two chairs and motioned for Riley to sit in the other one. He took one of Pappy Joe's hands and held it with his free hand and gave it a small squeeze.

"I'm here Pappy…It's me Lucas…" Lucas whispered. He was surprised to see his Pappy Joe open his eyes for the first time.

"Lucas…You're here…" He whispered weakly.

"Of course I am…" Lucas smiled.

"And you brought that special girl back…Nice to see you again Miss. Matthews…" He smiled.

"You too Mr. Friar…" Riley replied.

"Please call me Joe from now on…She's a keeper boy…You taking good care of her?" Pappy Joe asked.

"Of course I am…" Lucas replied. "She means the world to me and…I don't know what I would do without her in my life…"

"That's good…Very good…You know the both of you remind me of me and your Grandma Phyllis…" Pappy Joe laughed. "We had quite a love story…"

"You've told me that story so many times…" Lucas laughed. "She sounded like she was such an incredible person."

"She was the best…" Pappy Joe smiled. "I've filled stories of the two of us in your head so you would know how to properly treat that special someone whenever your older." Pappy Joe explained. "And by the looks of it, it looks like my stories have paid off."

"Of course they have…" Lucas smiled.

"You two are the strongest couple that I've seen in a long time. Whatever happens between you two…Know that your bond is stronger than that and you two can get through almost anything…As long as you two stay together." He moaned.

"Pappy what's wrong? Should I get you more pain medicine?" Lucas asked afraid.

"Lucas it's OK…It's time…" Pappy Joe moaned.

"Let me call the rest of your family…" Riley said running out.

"Hurry…I don't think there's much time left…" Lucas replied.

"Lucas promise me that you will love that girl forever and you will not let anything come in between the two of you…" Pappy Joe moaned.

"I promise…" Lucas said as tears began to fall down his face.

"Because if you do I'm almost certain that someone else will be lucky to have her." Pappy Joe replied.

"Anyone would be lucky enough to have her as a boyfriend…But I don't plan of ever letting go of her. She's my ray of sunshine and I would be completely lost without her." Lucas smiled.

"You've become such a strong man Lucas. You've definitely changed since the last time I saw you…" Pappy Joe commented.

"It's all because of her…" Lucas replied.

Riley ran back into the bedroom with Lucas' entire family. Riley stepped back so other family members could be able to join Pappy Joe in his final moments on this planet. Riley moved behind Lucas and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. The rest of the gang joined Lucas as well letting him know that they were all going to be there for him.

"Now you take care of my boy here Miss. Matthews…" Pappy Joe stated.

"I promise Joe. He's going to be in good hands…We all will look after him." Riley smiled.

"That's all I need to know…" Pappy Joe moaned.

"Your going to be OK Pappa…Your gonna see ma again real soon." Emily Friar replied.

"That's something that I've been looking forward to for quite sometime now…" He replied.

"Goodbye Pappy…" Lucas sobbed.

"Goodbye boy…" Pappy Joe replied back weakly before he took his final breath on this earth.

"He's gone…" Emily replied sadly.

"But he lived a good life…" Lucas replied sadly as he was engulfed in a group hug by the rest of his friends.

* * *

 _Two Days Later…_

"My Pappy Joe meant a whole lot to me…" Lucas began to address the congregation that was gathered inside the chapel. "He was the strongest person I knew always ready to live life on the edge. Growing up, I used to think of him as some sort of superhero when he would lift those hay stacks off the ground. He called me Clark Kent and I called him Batman…" Lucas laughed a little at those memories. "But what I really loved about him was his passion for animals. He would always be teaching me how to take care of the barn animals. And he's truly inspired me to continue on to be a veterinarian…" Lucas felt tears rolling down his face. "He loved me like a son and I loved him like a dad…That was how our relationship worked…And now that he's gone I'm going to do my best to live by many important values that he's instilled in me ever since I was younger. I love you Pappy Joe…And no matter what I end up doing in life, I hope I make you proud. Because I've always been so proud to be your grandson…" Lucas ended as he walked away from the platform. He took one final look at the coffin lying in front of the chapel and placed his hand on it. As Lucas walked back to his seat he felt Riley give him a comforting hug while Cory and Topanga both placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You did great Lucas…" Riley whispered.

"If it weren't for all of you being there for me I don't think I would have made it through that eulogy." Lucas replied.

"It was very beautiful Lucas…" Topanga.

"Riley…Do you think Pappy Joe will run into Mrs. Svorski?" Auggie asked innocently.

"I'm sure he will…" Riley said giving her brother a comforting hug.

"Don't worry Lucas your Pappy won't starve he has Svorski's Bakery up there!" Auggie replied.

"I'm sure he won't buddy…" Lucas replied. "Thank you for that Auggie. That made me fell a little better."

"So your not sad anymore?" Auggie asked.

"Not really…I have you guys to make me feel better…" Lucas replied as he pulled the innocent seven year old into a hug.

* * *

Later that night the gang was sitting outside of the Friar house. Topanga had surprisingly managed to cook an incredible meal. Her cooking skills had improved drastically over the past two years and once again everyone devoured the meal. Riley was helping Auggie with building a model airplane when Lucas came into the living room.

"Hey Auggie do you think I can borrow your sister for a while?" Lucas asked.

"Sure…" Auggie shrugged as he ran off to help Topanga with cleaning up after dinner.

Lucas took Riley's hand and lead her towards the bonfire once again. Maya had to smile to herself when she noticed the two lovebirds walking off.

"What's up?" Riley asked as she sat down beside Lucas.

"You remember what happened exactly one year ago today?" Lucas asked slowly wrapping his arms around Riley's waist.

"Our grade eight graduation…" Riley stated.

"And…" Lucas pried.

"I do happen to remember that some guy asked me out that night…" Riley teased.

"And how are you and that guy doing?" Lucas smirked.

"I'm still madly in love with him so we're doing just fine…" Riley stated. She gasped after what she had just said.

"Riles…Did you say what I think you just said?" Lucas asked shocked.

"I believe I did…But it's true. I am so madly in love with you Lucas Friar." Riley admitted.

Lucas immediately crashed their lips together in one of the most meaningful kisses that the couple had shared. Riley smiled to herself as she wrapped her arms around Lucas' neck. She had been in love with him ever since she had first crashed into him on the subway and she knew it was for real after their Valentine's Day date.

"I sure hope that means you love me too…" Riley laughed.

"Yes it does…I love you Riley Matthews…I love you…" Lucas stated as he once again brought her in for a meaningful kiss.

"You know how there are these moments in life that you know you're going to remember forever?" Riley laughed.

"Yeah…" Lucas replied wrapping his arms protectively around the love of his life.

"Well this is definitely one of them…" Riley replied.

"So this beats our first kiss?" Lucas asked.

"Oh definitely…" Riley smiled. "By a long shot…"

"I agree…" Lucas replied.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for the incredible feedback guys! There is no better feeling for a writer than to have your work recognized and all those favorites and reviews for both of my GMW series has pushed me onwards in writing these stories for you. Now bad news is...Starting with this chapter some pretty heavy stuff is going down...But remember the prologue? There's a reason I placed that chapter first so you can see their happy ending. Now it's time to focus on both of their journeys to it... Continue on reviewing and sharing this story everyone. Thanks again :) you guys are awesome.  
**


	6. Their First Official Break

_**Forever…**_

 _ **Their First Break…**_

* * *

It was a steaming hot August day during their vacation. The gang had just completed their sophomore year. Riley was currently at Topanga's working another busy summer shift. But there was one thing that she was looking forward to. Maya had gotten permission from Shawn to throw a party at his condo while him and Katy were away on vacation for a week. Cory was a little unsure about the proposal at first, but Topanga mentioned that they were five of the most responsible teens that she had ever come across. Cory had to admit that Topanga did have a good point so he agreed. Which brings us back to the bakery where Riley is counting down the hours until the party. Not only was she going to be with her best friends, but she was going to see Lucas. She hadn't seen or heard from him in three weeks, which shocked her.

"Hey Riles…" Farkle greeted walking into the bakery.

"Oh hey Farkle how's it going?" Riley asked.

"Horrible…Me and Isadora just broke up…" Farkle sighed.

"What? Why?" Riley said shocked. Besides her and Lucas, Farkle and Isadora Smackle were the perfect couple.

"There just wasn't a spark anymore…Sure we still had feelings for each other. But we don't connect like we used to anymore." Farkle explained.

"So you mean to say the both of you just fell out of touch just like that?" Riley asked shocked.

"I guess so…There was also a lot of stress with our relationship. We're going into our junior years of High School and the both of us were super competitive. It first started with a small argument over which college we would go to, then it escalated during the science fair in June when I won and she lost she was holding it against me…Then our fighting and arguing continued until I simply couldn't take it anymore…" Farkle finished.

"That sounds awful Farkle…" Riley sighed.

"I should have seen it coming." Farkle sighed. "I knew we just weren't compatable with each other. I mean come on…We started off as rivals and I guess that's what we always will be competitors." Farkle said sadly.

"You don't seem to be taking this OK…" Riley said sadly wrapping her arms around him.

"It's just that Isadora was the very first girl I thought I had a future with…I had it all mapped out in my brain…I even had a 600 step plan for her to become my fiancé…" Farkle admitted.

"Seriously? You need 600 steps before you propose to her?" Riley laughed. "How far did you make it down the list?"

"30…" Farkle replied.

"Oh Farkle…" Riley replied sadly wrapping Farkle in a comforting hug. "Do you need anything?"

"Can I hug your innocent looking puppy?" Farkle asked.

"Farkle he's more than a year old now…" Riley laughed.

"He's still my favorite little guy…" Farkle laughed along.

"Go ahead. My dad should be in the apartment." Riley replied.

"Thanks Riles…You're a really good friend…" Farkle replied.

As Farkle left, the one thing that kept going through Riley's mind was _I hope me and Lucas never go through what Farkle and Smackle are going through_. Riley sighed as she finished placing the newly baked cakes neatly in the display cases.

"There's that ray of sunshine…" Zay commented walking in.

"Hey Zay…What's up?" Riley asked.

"Nothing really I was just hanging around until Hart's party tonight. I'm actually surprised your not with Lucas…" Zay commented.

"He's not supposed to be back until tonight…" Riley replied.

"Back? From where?" Zay asked confused.

"From Texas with his family. I thought you knew this." Riley laughed.

"He came back two weeks ago…." Zay replied. "I was just with him and that new girl who moved into the house next to his…What's her name again? Oh right Trinity…"

"Wait this doesn't make any sense…Why wouldn't he come to see me if he came back so early?" Riley wondered.

"Beats me…" Zay shrugged. "Sometimes I never know what's going through that cowboy's head. This is one of them…" Zay commented.

"Well at least I'll see him tonight…" Riley replied.

"Oh no you won't…" Zay finished.

"Why not?" Riley asked confused. "I thought he was going to Maya's party." Riley finished.

"Well he was until he got a little sidetracked. You see there's this new girl who moved right down the hall from his family's apartment and he promised he would show her around the city tonight you know to get ready for the upcoming school year." Zay explained.

"Your not making any sense Zay…Lucas ditched the summer party so he could show the girl next door NYC? Instead of spending time with his girlfriend?" Riley said sounding confused and hurt at the same time.

"It doesn't make sense to me either but this is Lucas we're talking about here. He never did make any sense…" Zay stated.

"Has he changed that much since he got back from Texas?" Riley said hurt.

"To be honest with you I did notice a certain edge to his attitude when he came back a couple of weeks ago." Zay finished.

"How so?" Riley asked confused.

"He seemed more happy…More energetic…" Zay finished.

"This is really confusing…I still don't get why he wouldn't come to see me the minute he came back." Riley stated. "I should probably go pay him a visit before heading off to Maya's tonight."

"Hey I wish you the best of luck kid. I know one thing for sure your relationship with Lucas just isn't what it used to be before he left for the summer." Zay began. "You two belong together so whatever is going on between the two of you I think it's about time you fixed it…"

"Thanks for being honest with me Zay…" Riley smiled.

"Anytime…" Zay smiled.

* * *

Riley got out of the elevator at Lucas' condo and what she saw made her green with jealousy. Lucas was casually leaning against his apartment door and chatting with the "new girl" that she had never seen before. She must have been the girl that Zay was referring to. Riley felt tears starting to build up in her eyes. She didn't understand it at all. Why would Lucas prefer to spend time with her?

"Lucas?" Riley questioned walking up to her.

"Riley…" Lucas said in a shocked tone. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get some answers…" Riley said simply.

"Answers to what?" Lucas asked confused.

"Answers as to why you didn't bother telling me that you came into town earlier than expected and answers as to why you've been avoiding me…" Riley stated.

"Can we not do this here…Why don't you come in so we can talk…" Lucas said opening his apartment door.

"Lucas what's gotten into you. It's like you're a totally different person ever since you got back from your trip."

"Riley I really don't know how to explain this to you…But while I was gone away…I had a new sense of freedom…" Lucas began. "I wasn't tied down to school, or my friends, or even you…I just lived my life the way I wanted to…And I actually enjoyed it…."

"So I'm holding you back from living your life? Is that why you've been avoiding me?" Riley said hurt.

"I don't know!" Lucas said frustrated. "I mean this is the first time in my life that I didn't have any priorities while I was in Texas. I just focused on enjoying my summer and that was it…But I think I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting."

"What does that even mean?" Riley asked hurt.

"I don't know…" Lucas said shocked.

"Do you still want to be with me?" Riley asked.

"That's what I'm having trouble understanding. I still have strong feelings for you, but we've been together for two years now. And for those two years I have spent most of my time loving you and making sure that you feel that you are the most important person in my life…And those feelings are still there. Your still the most important person in my life. But…"

"You want sometime to focus on yourself? To live your life?" Riley questioned.

"I don't know…Maybe…" Lucas sighed. "Riles being away from the city was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. But as soon as I came back I was sure that I would come running back to you and my best friends here…"

"But you didn't…" Riley said as tears started to make her way down her cheeks.

"Riles don't cry…" Lucas sighed.

"How can I not Lucas…You broke my heart…" Riley said sobbing.

"Riley…" Lucas began.

"Save it. You wanted space so I'm going to give it to you…" Riley began.

"Wait what does that even mean?" Lucas said confused.

"It means…That maybe you need some time away from being in a relationship to focus on you…" Riley finished.

"But what about you?" Lucas asked.

"What about me?" Riley asked.

"What exactly do you want?" Lucas asked.

"I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to be honest with me." Riley said. "Are you still in love with me?"

Lucas took a moment to think about his feelings towards Riley. He knew he had feelings for her, but whenever they got together he felt that the connection that he once had with her was dying down.

"No…" Lucas replied.

"What?" Riley said as the words finally hit her.

"Look Riles I'm sorry…But lately I've realized that the connection that we once shared just isn't the same anymore." Lucas began.

"Was it something I did? Was it something I said?" Riley questioned.

"No it's not that…"

"Then what is it?!" Riley asked frustrated.

"Look Riles the both of us have been together for the longest time now. And yes we embrace each others individuality but…Over time, I missed taking time to myself and just enjoying life."

"Do you mean that I've been a burden to you?" Riley asked.

"Of course not. Every single day I spent with you was special… But…Maybe I just missed the way things were when we were hanging out and being best friends." Lucas finished. "Our relationship was great don't get me wrong. But I just need some time to truly figure out what I want…"

"Wow…" Riley sighed.

"What?" Lucas wondered.

"You need time to figure out what you want…" Riley sighed as fresh tears made their way down her face. "Never once in our entire relationship did I doubt what I wanted. Because you know what? I've had everything I could possibly want out of that relationship. I wanted you…I wanted us…I wanted that future we had mapped out together." Riley sobbed.

"And I thought that's what I wanted too. But when I was spending time with Trinity…" Lucas began.

"You started to question if that future is what you wanted with me?" Riley asked.

Lucas gulped as he nodded his head slowly. He could see Riley was starting to fall apart. The last thing he ever wanted was for her to be hurt because of his actions. As he saw Riley's small frame sobbing on the couch he wanted nothing more than to take back every single thing that he said but he would be lying to himself. Which is something he promised himself he would never do.

"Riley I'm so sorry it's come down to this." Lucas began.

"But it has…" Riley began. "And you know what? Maybe this break will do us both some good…"

"In what way?" Lucas asked.

"Lets face it Lucas we're both going to be juniors in high school in two weeks. Which means that we are getting closer to college. And you and I both know that your going to be going back home to Texas and I'm chasing my dreams of getting into Harvard…We might as well get this relationship out of the way before the both of us end up getting hurt by the long distance relationship we're going to be going through in college…" Riley concluded.

"But we're still going to remain friends…" Lucas finished.

"I don't know about that…" Riley stated.

"Riles we've been best friends for three years now…Are you really going to throw away our friendship over this?" Lucas questioned.

"You really hurt me Lucas…And to be honest with you I just don't see how our friendship is going to continue if I'm still trying to live with the pain…" Riley finished.

"So that's it? Your just going to end our friendship like that?" Lucas asked.

"No…" Riley replied. "I just need some time…" Riley said sadly.

"I'm so sorry Riley…I never meant for this to end like this…" Lucas finished.

"But it did…" Riley stated as she started to get up. "I'll come by tomorrow with a box of your things…"

The minute Riley shut the door to Lucas' condo Lucas' tears made their way down his face. He had ruined their relationship. They had such a strong bond before but he didn't know if that bond was still going to be there after their breakup. As Lucas took a look at the picture of the two of them, he had to sigh sadly. He picked up the photo and just stared at it.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered while hugging the picture close to his chest. "I'm so sorry…"

* * *

 _The Next Day…_

Riley was finishing taping up a box of Lucas' things when Maya, Farkle, and Zay walked into her bedroom through the bay window.

"So it's true? You and Huckleberry are done for" Maya asked shocked.

"Yeah…" Riley sighed.

"I'm really sorry your going through this Riley." Farkle sighed. "It's a horrible feeling that I wouldn't dare wish on my worst enemy…"

"Your such an amazing person to be this strong after only breaking up 24 hours ago…" Zay replied. "I have no idea what was going through that cowboy's head when he decided to set you free…"

"It's over now…So can we please not talk about it…" Riley sighed.

"Of course…" The three replied.

"Do you three want to help me finish packing this box up so I could bring it over to Lucas'?" Riley asked.

"Sure…Then I say we all go to the movies…To cheer you up…" Farkle suggested.

"Thanks Farkle…That actually sounds like a great idea…" Riley replied.

"Do you want us to go with you to Lucas'?" Maya asked.

"Thanks Maya but no…This is something that I need to do by myself…" Riley replied. "I'll meet you three at the bakery OK?" Riley said.

"Sure…" Zay replied while the other three went out the bay window once again.

Riley knocked on Lucas' door taking a deep breath. She knew she was going to have to do this eventually. So why not just get it over with now? Lucas opened the door and Riley took a deep breath once again.

"Here's a box of stuff…" Riley said shoving it into his hands.

"Wait Riley…"Lucas began. "Are you doing OK?"

"I'm getting through it…I'm hurting…But I'm getting through it…" Riley replied walking off.

Lucas shut the door and brought the box over to the kitchen table. He wondered why it was so light. As Lucas opened the box he gasped. Inside the box was every single picture, note, and present that he had ever given to her. As Lucas took them out of the box, he found a blue binder at the bottom of it. Lucas had a confused look on his face. He didn't remember ever giving this to her. As Lucas took the binder out her gasped.

"The Story of Rucas…" Lucas read. "Told through pictures…" Lucas opened the cover page and saw a note stuck to the back of it.

 _Happy three year anniversary baby…Every single moment that I spend with you is filled with so much joy and so much love. You're the reason why I look forward to waking up every morning and going to bed every single night…Because I know that I will get to see you the very next day. Looking back, I can truthfully say that these were the best three years of my entire life because I spent them with you…And I know for a fact that our love story is only just beginning. So here's to one of the most incredible love stories ever told…Even more incredible than Romeo & Juliet. _

_My love forever_

 _~Riley~_

"She had our anniversary present ready for next year?" Lucas asked shocked.

Lucas flipped through the binder and had to laugh at the meaningful photos or souvenir items that she placed inside. By the end of it, Lucas felt nothing but pure guilt in his heart. He was lying to himself…He had let the most incredible person in his life go. And he didn't know if he would ever get her back.


	7. Their Significant Other

_**FOREVER**_

* * *

 **THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHER…**

 _Three Weeks Later…_

Riley had just finished another long day at school when she noticed that the apartment right across from hers was filled with boxes. That apartment must have been empty for about a year now. And Riley was excited about the prospect of making new friends with the neighbor. As she was about to turn around to open her own apartment door, she knocked somebody down in the process.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry…Are you OK?" Riley asked.

"I will be once you help me off the floor…" He moaned.

"Oh right…" Riley laughed. "I'm Riley."

"Norman…" He replied.

"So I'm guessing you're my new neighbor huh?" Riley said helping Norman move the rest of his stuff into the empty apartment.

"It appears so…" Norman laughed. "Although I used to live in that apartment across from Topanga's Bakery but our apartment flooded so we needed to find a new one…"

"So your only staying here until your old apartment gets fixed?" Riley asked confused.

"Actually I kind of like it around here. I might convince my parents to keep this apartment. You're a lot more fun than my old neighbor. We used to live beside this old lady Mrs. Dexter…We all called her cat woman because of how many cats she had."

"I'm more of a dog person…" Riley laughed.

"Same here. I've always wanted a dog of my own…" Norman laughed.

"Well I have a two year old dog who's in my apartment right now just waiting to be played with…If you want I'm sure he wouldn't mind an extra person joining in on our playtime…" Riley suggested.

"That's actually a good idea…" Norman smiled.

"Well come on in then…" Riley said opening her apartment door.

Time seemed to fly by for the both of them. Before Norman knew it he had not only fallen in love with Woody, but he felt that he was starting to develop strong feelings for Riley. What didn't make sense to him was that he had just met her a couple of hours ago and it seemed that he had already developed a crush on her in that short amount of time.

"Hey Norman do you have to head home? I was going to meet up with my best friends over at Topanga's. Do you want to come along?" Riley asked.

"Actually that sounds really cool. I hardly know anyone around this part of the city." Norman laughed.

"But you lived three blocks away. Didn't you have friends there?" Riley asked.

"Sure I had friends…But not the kind of friends that I would be proud of…" Norman laughed. "They tend to blend into the popular crowd and I guess they're only friends with me because I do their homework." Norman laughed.

"Well let me assure you…My group of friends will show you what it's really like to have friends." Riley smiled.

Three weeks…Three whole weeks since Lucas had made the biggest mistake of his life. He had never meant to hurt Riley the way he did, but he had a strong urge to have time for himself…To figure out what exactly he wanted. He hadn't spoken to Riley properly since then and he felt that the rest of the group was avoiding him as well.

"Wait so your mom owns this place?" Norman asked while him and Riley stepped into the familiar bakery.

"Yeah. My family always loved this place growing up and when the original owner died she gave full ownership over to my mother." Riley explained.

"Your mom makes the best muffins." Norman said taking a bite out of the popular blueberry surprise.

"Actually I make those…" Riley laughed.

"Let me re-phrase. You make the best muffins…" Norman laughed.

"Thank you Norman that's very sweet…" Riley laughed.

"Hey Riley…" Lucas said walking up to the both of them.

"Oh hi…" Riley said in a monotone voice. "Norman meet Lucas…My ex-boyfriend."

"I know who he is…Captain of the Football, Basketball, and Volleyball team right?" Norman asked.

"You got it…How do you know so much about me?" Lucas wondered.

"I'm the schools sports reporter…" Norman pointed out.

"But I thought incoming sophomores were only running that column not juniors…" Riley said confused.

"I am in incoming sophomore…Well in two weeks I will be…" Norman laughed uncomfortably.

"Wait your only a sophomore…I need better contacts. I thought for sure you would at least be a junior like the rest of us." Riley laughed.

"You don't wear contacts…" Lucas pointed out.

"Yes I do. I've been wearing them for four months now…" Riley pointed out.

"But I've never seen you wearing glasses." Lucas said confused.

"Again I've been wearing glasses for almost year now Lucas it's like you barely noticed them." Riley pointed out.

"Hey kid who's the new guy?" Maya asked sliding in to the seat next to Riley.

"Oh this is Norman he's the new neighbor who moved across the hall from me." Riley pointed out.

"Wait you're the kid who put the dead fish in Principal Tanner's office didn't you?" Maya laughed.

"Hey it was April Fool's day I couldn't not pull off a prank." Norman laughed.

"You're a nerd and you like pulling pranks? I'm liking this kid already." Maya laughed.

Lucas walked back over to his table and looking longingly at Riley. Ever since their breakup, he had felt that he didn't feel as connected to his old group of friends. He knew in his heart that what he had decided to do three weeks ago was one of the biggest mistakes of his life. And he made a promise to himself that he would do everything in his power to make it right.

"Norman…I'm surprised to see you here." Farkle pointed out joining the group at the table.

"Well since debate team isn't back in session for another two weeks I had a load of free time on my hands." Norman pointed out.

"So you've been hanging around the city?" Maya asked.

"Nope moving apartments…" Norman laughed.

"You know I still can't wrap my head around the fact that you're a year younger than us. It's like we're all the same age here." Riley laughed.

"I guess we have great chemistry." Norman said while the others laughed.

"Now this Norman are what real friends are like." Farkle stated.

"It feels kinda good…" Norman smiled. "You guys are great people. Are you sure you wouldn't mind me becoming a part of your group?"

"Of course not. You get along with all of my closest friends so I think you would be a great addition to our clique." Riley pointed out.

"Oh the new Avengers movie comes out today!" Maya yelled.

"Then what the hell are we doing here?" Norman asked.

"Wait guys I told you I couldn't make it today…" Lucas began to point out.

"See it on your own time Friar…" Maya said while the rest of the gang ran out of the bakery towards the movie theatre.

Lucas just stood in the bakery stunned. There was no doubt in the back of his mind that his friends had started to stay away from him since the breakup. He honestly didn't want it to go this far. He had thought he had done the right thing when he ended his relationship with Riley. But the more he thought about it, the more he began to realize that it had been a gigantic mistake. Lucas sighed as he picked up his jacket and started walking home alone. That's how he had felt lately…Alone…He missed the fact that he could always crawl into Riley's bay window and have a meaningful conversation with her. He missed that his great group of friends who would always put a smile on his face each and every day at school. To be honest, he didn't know if things would ever be the same ever again.

* * *

 _One week Later…_

It was the first official day of junior year. Just one more year and Riley and her gang would once again be the rulers of the school. Riley walked into George Washington Secondary school with a big smile on her face. She had a bright year ahead of her with great friends and great teachers.

"Riles over here…" Maya called her from across the hall.

"Can you believe it guys? We're actually juniors…" Riley commented.

"Yeah this thing has actually flown by a lot faster than I expected…" Zay commented.

"One more year until me and Isadora start planning our college life together…" Farkle said happily.

"Wait a minute…You and Isaora are a thing again?" Maya asked.

"Yup." Farkle smiled. "We both realized that breaking up was never the answer to our problems. We agreed that we would let each other know if we are upsetting each other and we are both trying to be not as competitive between each other." Farkle explained.

"That's great Farkle congratulations…" Riley replied.

"Now I feel bad I brought it up…" Farkle sighed.

"Why?" Maya asked.

"Because you and Lucas still aren't on speaking terms and I'm rubbing it in your face that I just got back together with my girlfriend…" Farkle sighed.

"Farkle it's OK I'm really happy for you…" Riley replied.

"You don't sound happy…" Maya commented.

"Sorry guys…It's just that this Friday is the school formal and I was looking forward to it because I thought it would be me and Lucas' first official date after his summer vacation in Texas." Riley sighed.

"Hey look on the bright side we're all going as friends so you won't be alone." Farkle commented.

"Oh come on Farkle you and I both know that your going to spending the majority of your evening right next to Smackle…" Riley laughed.

"True but I'm loyal to you guys too so I'm going to be spending an equal amount of time with my friends and with my lady…" Farkle replied.

"Good to know Captain Farklestein…" Maya laughed as the group headed towards their first class of the year.

"Where are you all headed?" Zay asked.

"English…" Riley and Maya replied.

"Meanwhile I need to be trapped with your father again for American politics…" Maya sighed.

"Well I'm off with these two buffoons see you later Hart." Zay waved.

"Later taters…" Maya waved as she headed down the stairs.

"So are you sure your still not upset about Lucas?" Zay asked.

"Zay I'm fine…" Riley laughed.

"Good because the both of you have matching schedules…" Zay laughed nervously.

"What?! Zay how did that happen?" Riley asked shocked.

"You know how I worked the guidance office over the summer?" Zay began.

"Zay what did he make you do?" Riley sighed.

"He just wanted to make sure that the both of you have identical schedules for the year…And to answer your question he paid me 100 bucks…" Zay sighed.

"I still can't believe you did this…" Riley sighed.

"But I thought you were over the whole thing…" Zay asked confused.

"Yeah I am…But that doesn't mean I'm ready to spend the whole day with him…" Riley sighed.

"So your just going to change your schedule just like that?" Farkle asked.

"No I actually like my schedule this year. So I'm keeping it…" Riley replied. "Besides I balanced my workload evenly this year so I can spend more time focusing on my college applications."

"That's the spirit…" Zay smiled.

The minute Riley walked into the English classroom she noticed Lucas sitting at the front of the class right beside a desk that Riley would normally sit in.

"Hey Riley…" Lucas smiled.

"Lucas…" Riley said as she sat down. "How's life been treating you?"

"Been pretty bumpy to be honest with you…" Lucas sighed. "Look Riley…"

"Yes…" Riley began.

"I'm really sorry about what happened between the both of us…" Lucas sighed.

"It's in the past now…" Riley replied. "Only moving forward right?"

"Right…" Lucas stated.

"As friends and absolutely nothing more…" Riley finished.

"Wait what?" Lucas asked shocked. "Riley I thought we would be able to start again…"

"Like I said before Lucas. This breakup is for the best because we would have eventually broken up when we went off to college…" Riley replied.

"So that's it? Your giving up on us just like that?" Lucas asked.

"I didn't decide to do this…You did…" Riley replied.

"But what if I said that it was the biggest mistake of my life?" Lucas asked.

"Lucas…"Riley sighed.

"I'm serious Riley…This was definitely the biggest mistake I've made in my entire life…And I am so sorry for what I did to you…Please if you have it in your heart to give me another chance I promise I won't make you regret it." Lucas begged.

"Lucas this time apart has taught me a lot of things…It's taught me to chase my dreams and not let anybody get in the way of that. But it's also taught me that maybe I can make it out in this world alone. Because before the thing that frightened me the most was the thought of losing you while I went off to college. Staying friends is the only way I can be sure that you will always be there for me…" Riley replied.

"But what about how I feel about this?" Lucas asked.

"How do you feel?" Riley asked.

Lucas was about to answer Riley's question when the bell to signal classes blared through the speakerbox.

"Please can we talk after school?" Lucas whispered.

"Fine you can come with me on my way to my shift at Topanga's later on…" Riley replied.

"Thank you…" Lucas replied.

Later that afternoon Riley and Lucas were both walking towards the bakery. They felt like they had suddenly rebuilt their old relationship. Lucas had a huge smile on his face. He knew that he would eventually get Riley back into his life permanently, but this was a huge improvement compared to two weeks ago. The minute the both of them walked into the bakery they both found Norman pacing back and forth holding a bouquet of lilies.

"Norman?" Riley asked confused. "You planning on asking a special girl out to the school formal or something?" Riley joked.

"Actually yes…" Norman sighed. "Riley if you would do me the honors of going to the school formal dance this Saturday it would be my honor to escort you…" Norman said in one big jumble.

"Wait a minute…" Lucas said shocked.

"Norman…Your asking me to go to the school formal with you?" Riley asked in shock.

"So what do you say Riley? Do we have a date?" Norman asked nervously.

* * *

 _ **~To Be Continued…~**_


	8. Their Regret

_**Forever**_

* * *

 _ **Their Regret**_

* * *

 _One Month Later_

Lucas walked home alone sadly. That was how most of his month had gone. He had lost connection with his old best friends, probably because they were still angry with him for what he had done to Riley. And speaking of which, she had gone on yet another date with Norman. Ever since the two of them had become official at their fall formal, they had been spending more and more time together. But he was thrilled to have his old relationship back with Riley. As he opened

the door to his condo he sighed as he came face to face with the picture sitting on the table. It was from their Grade Nine camping trip.

* * *

 _Summer of 2015_

 _Luca and Riley were both sitting at Campers Peak. The both of them had discovered it while on a hike with everyone else about two days ago. Riley had laid her head on Lucas' chest and they were both staring up at the stars in the sky._

" _Can you believe the summer is officially half over? In about six weeks we're going to officially be sophomores."_

" _Hey we've got a whole new world of opportunities straight ahead?" Riley smiled pecking Lucas on the lips. "And a lot more adventures too."_

" _Don't you think our high school experience is moving way too fast?" Lucas asked while brushing a stray hair away from Riley's face._

" _Which is why I'm enjoying every single moment of it." Riley smiled._

" _Aren't you scared though?" Lucas asked innocently._

" _Of what?" Riley asked confused._

" _Of the unknown. I mean who knows where the both of us are going to be after high school maybe we'll be in different colleges or maybe we'll be in the same one. I'm just afraid of making the wrong decision." Lucas sighed._

" _And I'm worried about making the same mistakes too. But college applications are three years away Lucas. That gives us loads of time to appreciate what we have right now."_

" _I guess your right…" Lucas sighed. "Maybe I'm letting the thought of going away to college get into my head. The thing is I love the way things are right now. I get to spend time with some of my amazing friends, I have a great girl I get to see everyday." Lucas continued as he pecked Riley quickly on the lips. "And I'm going to start looking into working at the vet clinic when we head back to New York City next week." Lucas continued. "I have a great life shaping up in the city I guess I'm just afraid to leave it all behind." Lucas commented._

" _Hey I'm worried about that too…But you know what makes it all better? It's knowing that I have a great support system that will help me get through it. So your never going to be facing the world alone Lucas. We all are…" Riley replied._

" _You know what your right…I know I can make it through this…Just as long as I have you." Lucas said bringing Riley in for a passionate kiss._

" _Then you have absolutely nothing to worry about." Riley smiled leaning in towards Lucas._

* * *

Lucas sighed. That was probably one of the most meaningful moments in their relationship. It was during that night that Lucas had learned that he would be able to conquer all of life's obstacles just as long as he had his special ray of sunshine. But recently things have been taking quite a bitter turn and Lucas knew why.

* * *

 _Two Weeks Ago_

 _Lucas was pacing back and forth in his condo he had just completed four college applications and interviews for the most prestigious colleges in the country. And the fact that he wasn't hearing back from any of them killed him on the inside. If he didn't get any scholarships he didn't know if going to college would actually be possible. His mother was working two jobs just so they could keep this condo and enough food for the both of them._

" _Lucas here's some mail for you sweetie…" Mrs. Friar stated handing Lucas four envelopes._

" _Thanks momma…" Lucas sighed._

" _Is something wrong honey?" Mrs. Friar asked._

" _I'm just really nervous momma I have my entire future here in my hands and if I don't get these scholarships I don't know how going to college will be financially possible…"_

" _Honey there's always a way…" Mrs. Friar stated._

 _Mrs. Friar kissed Lucas' cheek softly as she went towards the kitchen to put away the groceries. Lucas had been on quite a streak of bad luck recently. First off, the school baseball team currently held a 13 game losing streak, plus he had been getting really low grades in physics probably because it was one of the harder sciences. He prayed to God that whatever was in these envelopes would brighten up his day. Lucas began to open the first letter from NYU. Lucas quickly cut open the envelope and read the letter…Rejected…Lucas sighed. It was only one letter there was still a one in three chance. He picked up the second letter…Stanford…Waitlisted. Well that wasn't the end of the world…He picked up the third letter…Cornell University…Rejected. The final letter was his ultimate dream school. Lucas quickly opened his letter to reveal his fate…Wait listed. Lucas sighed. Looks like his streak of bad luck was still on a roll. He had no idea when it was going to stop but he hoped it would be soon. He was beginning to lose hope in almost everything that he did._

* * *

Lucas was still not over those rejection letters. As he sat down on the couch he received a message from Riley asking everyone to meet at the bakery. He still had two more hours until he needed to head into work so he thought that hanging out with his old friends would actually be a good thing. Lucas went to change into his scrubs quickly before he headed off to meet everyone. This was going to be the first time that he's seen them outside of school in over a month and a half.

"Gosh darn it what's cowboy doing here?" Maya sighed.

"I invited him Maya. Lucas I'm glad you could make it." Riley went up to hug him.

"Well I had some extra time on my hands before going into work so I thought that I would swing on by. Besides, I've been longing for a break lately. After all the bad luck I've been having I've been in need of a desperate break." Lucas sighed.

"Now what exactly are we doing here?" Farkle asked.

"Now as you guys know I've had my big interview with Yale and Harvard yesterday. Both of my dream schools." Riley smiled.

"Let me guess your got rejected and you needed us to cheer you up?" Zay asked.

"No…At least I don't think I've been rejected." Riley laughed. "I got these two envelopes from Yale and Harvard this afternoon. I applied for their scholarships and I wanted to open it with you guys. Because whatever is in these envelopes I want to know I've got you guys there to look out for me."

"Of course…Now go on open it!" Farkle encouraged.

"Wait I'm waiting for…" Riley began.

"Sorry I'm late…" Norman replied walking in. "Hey sweetie I was caught up at the library volunteering." Norman stated as he placed a small kiss to Riley's forehead.

"You're here now that's all that matters to me…" Riley smiled.

"Now are you going to open these damn things or am I going to have to do them for you…" Maya laughed. "No matter what happens Riles we're all going to be here for you."

"OK here it goes…" Riley picked up the first envelope from Harvard. "Oh my god…"

"What?!" Everyone yelled.

"I got in…And they're offering me a full ride…" Riley said happily.

Everyone cheered and wrapped Riley in for a tight hug. Lucas was so proud of her for accomplishing her dreams. Although he knew that Yale was her dream school Harvard was just as good.

"I'm so proud of you Riley. You got into one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country." Lucas smiled.

"Thanks Lucas…" Riley smiled. "Should I open the one from Yale?" Riley wondered.

"Why should you? You already got into Harvard…" Maya asked confused.

"I just want to know if my silly childhood dream of going to Yale is actually silly…" Riley laughed. She tore the envelope open and pulled out the rather long letter "Oh my god…" Riley said as tears formed into her eyes.

"So this silly childhood dream just became a reality didn't it?" Zay asked.

Riley could only nod her head as tears were now making their way steadily down her face. Everyone once again cheered and pulled Riley in for a gigantic hug.

"You did it Riley. You turned your impossible childhood dream into a reality…" Maya smiled. "I'm so proud of you honey."

"We all are…" Norman pointed out.

"This is definitely a cause for a celebration…" Riley smiled "Hey mom can I throw a party in the apartment on Saturday?"

"What for honey?" Topanga laughed.

"Because I just got offered a full ride into Yale…" Riley pointed out.

"That's great honey…Wait a minute…Did you say what I think you just said?" Topanga asked shocked.

"Yup it's right here…" Riley said waving the piece of paper she was holding in her hands.

"Honey I'm so proud of you!" Topanga squealed while she brought Riley in for a hug. "Your going to be going to my dream college. I am so happy that you get the opportunity to go." Topanga smiled.

"Thanks mom…" Riley smiled. "Do you really think I'm good enough to do this?"

"Honey…Yale offered you that scholarship for a reason." Topanga stated. "They see that very talented girl that I've had the amazing opportunity to raise. Your going to do just fine." Topanga smiled.

"Thanks mom…That means a lot coming from you." Riley smiled.

"Trust me sweetie your journey is just beginning and I can't wait to see where this new journey will bring you next." Topanga smiled.

* * *

It was a couple days later and Riley was enjoying the party that her parents had planned for her. All of her life, her only dream was to get into Yale or Harvard and it had finally come true. She would have been grateful to be going to one of them but both of them at the same time, that was an absolute dream. She had been juggling both options in her head over the past couple of days and she had finally felt like she had come to a reasonable conclusion.

"So Riles any idea on what your going to do now?" Farkle asked.

"Actually that's what I wanted to announce to all of you." Riley began. "Over the past crazy couple of days I've been thinking a lot about where I'm going to be in two years and I have been battling with this decision over and over and over again in my mind and today I've finally made that choice…" Riley took a deep breath. "In September 2019 I will be an undergraduate biomedical sciences student at Harvard University." Riley said proudly.

* * *

The room was soon filled with congratulatory compliments and hugs. Riley smiled to herself thanking God that she had the most supportive people in her life. As the party went on, Riley felt like she was in desperate need of air so she went up to the roof. A couple of minutes later she heard the door close behind her.

"Hey you've been away from the party for a while…" Lucas said approaching her.

"Yeah I just needed some air I guess. It's a lot for me to take in." Riley stated.

"Don't worry I would probably do the same thing if I was in your shoes too. But you deserve it all Riley." Lucas smiled. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks…That means a lot to me to hear you say that." Riley replied.

"Hey you've worked hard your entire life to make it into Harvard and Yale and it's paid off. It was going to come eventually."

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course you can."

"I'm so nervous for this new adventure in my life. I have absolutely no idea what to expect, where I'm going to be, if I'm even good enough…It's a big world out there and I don't think I'm ready to face it all alone." Riley sighed.

"Hey your not alone." Lucas said as he brought Riley in for a hug. "You have all of your friends here behind you plus a very supportive boyfriend." Lucas cringed at his last sentence. "Your going to be just fine."

"But what if I'm not ready to face what the world has in store for me?" Riley said scared.

"Your Riley Matthews you can face anything the world throws at you. Your one of the most smartest and most reliable people I know and I love that your willing to fight whatever is thrown your way especially if your fighting for what's right. Your more than ready for the real world. It's me that should be afraid." Lucas confessed.

"What are you afraid of?" Riley asked.

"Losing you…" Lucas confessed.

"Lucas…" Riley said shocked.

"Look Riley I know I shouldn't have said any of that but…It's the truth. Remember how I told you that I couldn't have survived in New York City? I don't know if I can survive without you. You've always been able to support me in whatever I end up doing no matter how crazy it is…But most importantly your always there to listen…And now that your going off to college pretty soon… I guess I'm just afraid of…"

Lucas was cut off by a pair of lips on his. Lucas' eyes grew wide in complete and utter shock. Riley Matthews was kissing him. Riley quickly pulled away.

"What just happened?" Riley asked in shock.

"I should be asking you that!" Lucas said in surprise. "Riley why did you do that?"

"Because I wanted you to shut up!" Riley yelled back. "This was never supposed to happen."

"Riley there has to be another reason as to why you kissed me back…Riley do you still have feelings for me?" Lucas asked.

"Lucas it was an innocent kiss…It wasn't even supposed to happen and now that it has…I wish I could turn back time to make sure that it never did happen." Riley explained. "Oh my god how am I supposed to explain this to Norman…"

"Wait a minute Riley. You just kissed me and the thing that you are most afraid of is how your going to tell Norman about this?!" Lucas said in disbelief. "Shouldn't we try to figure out our relationship first?"

"There is absolutely nothing to figure out Lucas. I shouldn't have kissed you…It meant absolutely nothing to me OK?" Riley said calmly.

"But it meant something to me…" Lucas said sadly. "Riley don't you see? I want you back in my life permanently…"

"Lucas I'm not going to lie to you. What we had back then it was great…And it's taught me a lot of lessons when it comes to love. And I just wanted to say thank you…" Riley stated.

"For what?" Lucas asked confused.

"For giving me my freedom so I could find my true love of my life. Lucas over the past month Norman has continually showed me that he is the one for me. And I'm glad I was able to find him." Riley explained.

"Riley that's absolutely insane. How can you know you love someone that much in just one month?" Lucas asked.

"The heart doesn't lie Lucas…" Riley stated. "It's been continuously telling me that the one I'm supposed to be with is Norman."

"But what about what just happened? Didn't you feel anything?" Lucas questioned.

"To be honest with you. I regret doing what I just did. I hurt someone I truly care about and if he finds out I don't know what I would do if I lost him." Riley stated. "I'm sorry Lucas…But I just don't feel that spark anymore." Riley said walking back down to her apartment.

"Riley wait…" Lucas sighed as he felt tears make his way down his cheeks. "I still love you…" Lucas whispered to the night sky.

* * *

Riley walked into her apartment and saw the rest of her friends sitting on the couch just chatting casually.

"There you are sweetie you've been away for a while…" Norman said approaching her. Riley wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"I'm sorry Norman…I just needed some air." Riley whispered.

"Hey is everything OK?" Norman asked.

"Mhm.." Riley replied. "Everything is perfect…"

"Good." Norman smiled wrapping his arms tighter around his girlfriend.

"Where did you go anyways?" Zay asked.

"I just needed some air so I went up to the roof. By the way Lucas went home just in case you were wondering." Riley responded.

"Well that's early for Huckeberry to leave." Maya replied.

"He said he was tired from his mid-terms this week." Riley replied.

"Aren't we all?" Farkle sighed. "But they're all over now for the most part and we won't have to worry about exams for another four weeks." Farke smiled.

"Yeah we can all use this break." Riley replied.

"Hey I'm not sure this is just me here but something is telling me that Lucas has been trying to win you back sugar." Zay laughed.

"Well he can try all he wants…But it's not going to work. I've actually found the one person who makes me really happy." Riley said.

"So if he was going to win you back you would say no in a heartbeat?" Farkle asked shocked.

"I would." Riley replied.

"You know I never got the chance to truly thank you for letting me be your companion to the school formal last month. So thank you Riley for changing my life." Norman stated. "Because you've not only shown me what it's like to have real friends but you've shown me how it feels to truly love someone." Norman smiled. "And for that I thank you."

"I should be the one thanking you. You're the one who showed me true happiness every single day I thank God for bringing you into my life. Because I don't know what I would do without you."

"God I thought you and cowboy were bad…You two are even worse." Zay groaned.

* * *

Lucas walked into his bedroom and just sobbed. He had finally lost the one girl who meant the world to him. If he could find a way to turn back time and prevent the events of two months ago from happening he would do that in a heartbeat. Because that was when his life had stopped. Lucas wiped the tears away from his eyes. He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror.

"Trust me Riley Matthews I'm going to win you back and your going to fall in love with me all over again…Because you and me…We're meant to be together…Forever."


	9. Their Confessions

**FOREVER**

 **I AM SOOO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO GET OUT...WORK HAS BEEN DRIVING ME INSANE. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED I WORK WITH IT'S A LAUGH PRODUCTIONS WHICH IS WHAT WE ALL KNOW THE MAIN PRODUCTION HOUSE FOR MOST OF DISNEY CHANNEL'S SITCOMS. AND IT'S PITCH SEASON SO WE'RE ALL RUSHING TO FIND REPLACEMENTS FOR THE SHOWS THAT ARE ENDING...IT'S A STRESSFUL BUT VERY FUN TIME...ANYWAYS...ONWARDS WITH THE STORY...  
**

* * *

 **THEIR CONFESSIONS**

Riley and Norman both walked hand in hand into their English classroom. They had been away for the Christmas Holidays that year and since Norman had returned two weeks ago, they have been attached at the hip. It's a good thing that their friends were supportive of their relationship. Normally, most people would be annoyed by their constant displays of affection but not their group. They were mostly able to deal with it. Farkle was the exact same way with Smackle so it wasn't anything new to them.

"Well hello Mr. and Mrs. Woodsworth…" Maya laughed.

"Woah..Wait a minute your full name is Norman Woodsworth?" Zay laughed.

"Yes and it's not a last name that I'm proud of." Norman sighed. "Thanks a lot Maya now I'm sure the entire schools going to know my last name."

"Hey I ain't like that…I don't just go snitching around the school telling peoples secrets." Zay stated.

"Well in your defense I think it's an adorable last name." Riley pointed out.

"You can stop lying we all know how atrocious it is." Norman pouted.

"Hey I'm telling the truth…You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of." Riley stated.

"You honestly think that Norman Woodsworth is a good name?" Norman asked.

"I do…" Riley pointed out giving a sweet kiss on his cheek to prove her point.

"At least you don't know my middle name…" Norman whispered.

"Oh boy it gets more embarrassing!" Maya said as she slid in between the couple. "So Woodsworth how could your name become even more embarrassing?"

"My middle name is Ashley…" Norman whispered.

"I'm sorry I don't think I heard you right but did you just say your middle name is Ashley?" Maya laughed.

"Unfortunately…" Norman sighed.

"Norman Ashley Woodsworth oh this is the best day of my life…" Maya laughed.

"My mom thought I was supposed to be a girl OK?!" Norman stated.

"OK you rowdy bunch of teenagers how about we actually jam some knowledge into your noggins." Corey said walking into the class.

"So what you got for us today Matthews?" Maya asked.

"Well today I got nothing." Corey began. "You guys are going to be the ones teaching me something. Now we all know how all the old stories in Shakespearean times always somehow end in tragedy. I want you to analyze your favorite Shakespearean text and I want you to think what would have happened if they didn't end tragically? If your favorite stories from Shakespeare would have the same impact that they would have today if they had a happy ending…If Romeo and Juliet didn't die and they ended up living happily. If Macbeth hadn't died would he have ruled the land differently?"

"And I ask once again is there really any point to these lessons Mr. Matthews?" Maya sighed.

"There's always a point Maya it's up to you to find out what it is." Corey smiled.

"Can't you just save all of us the trouble and just tell us what your trying to get at?" Maya sighed.

"Now where's all the fun in that?" Corey laughed. "Now I have chosen your partners for this project and this time there will absolutely be no switching." Corey stated. "Maya you and Farkle will be analyzing Macbeth to see if he didn't commit suicide would he have ruled the land differently. Yogi and Sarah you two will be doing Julius Ceasar. Riley your going to be paired with Lucas to study Romeo and Juliet…"

"Oh boy…" Farkle whispered.

"Daddy do I have to?" Riley complained.

"Yes honey you do…" Cory smiled.

"Well this day just a lot more interesting." Maya smirked.

It was after school and Riley was absentmindedly tapping her pen rapidly against the front of her notebook. She was supposed to meet Lucas here in about ten minutes so they can start working on their assigned school project.

"Hi Riley…" Lucas walked in happily.

"Hey Lucas why are you so early?" Riley questioned.

"Oh basketball practice let out early because Zay got food poisoning and yacked all over the gym floor." Lucas replied.

"OK TMI and second is he OK?" Riley asked.

"Yeah he should be good to go. Lunch lady Michelle sneezed on the mac and cheese again." Lucas laughed.

"She's just never going to learn is she?" Riley shuddered.

"Yeah it's kind of getting old…Anyways what are we working together on this time?" Lucas asked.

"Well I don't know why my dad thought this was a great idea but it turns out that we are paired together to analyze if the story of Romeo and Juliet would have had the same effect that it does today if it had ended happily you know…If Romeo and Juliet weren't dead."

"Interesting…" Lucas smirked.

"What?" Riley asked confused.

"That he would pair a broken up couple to study Romeo and Juliet. It's sort of a coincidence don't you think?" Lucas wondered.

"It's a coincidence I agree, but I'm in a happy relationship now remember? It's just a school project." Riley laughed.

"A project that I think we're going to knock right out of the ballpark." Lucas laughed.

"Let's get started shall we? So what do you think Lucas? Do you think their story would have the same effect that it does today if they had gotten their happily ever after?" Riley wondered.

"To be honest with you I think it would not have been as popular as it is right now. But it would still resonate with the audience." Lucas stated.

"How so?" Riley asked confused.

"Because just the original ending alone Romeo and Juliet is a classic love story even though it didn't end happily for them. The fact that the both of them were able to defy their parents and be married at such a young age that's a story all on it's own. I think that if it did end happily yes it wouldn't have had the same effect that it has today but the themes and the storyline would be strengthened." Lucas finished.

"Why is it every single time that we do a group project together we always end up agreeing with each other?" Riley asked.

"I don't know. Probably because we're a really great pair. We make a good partnership Riles." Lucas stated.

"No arguing with that." Riley laughed.

"It's times like these I'm starting to regret not being able to work alongside you in college. I mean we're both going into the health sciences but it's going to be a totally different environment knowing that you won't be there to team up with." Lucas said as he drank his smoothie.

"Yeah. But I'm ready for it." Riley smiled. "I've actually started the countdown until I leave for Boston."

"Your counting down the days already?" Lucas asked a little heartbroken.

"Yeah I am…" Riley smiled. "I'm excited about this new adventure and I know it's going to be one that I won't forget about easily. "

"Meanwhile I still need to figure out where I'm going to be in the next couple of years. I know college is still a long ways off but I can't help but feel anxious about where I'm going to be and if I'm making the right decision." Lucas sighed

"Don't over think everything I'm sure it's all going to work out in your favor." Riley smiled.

"How can you manage to stay so positive?" Lucas laughed. "No matter how bad life tends to be you always find a positive spin to everything."

"Hey that's just how I view life. I see it as one long journey ahead that's filled with joy and happiness." Riley smiled.

"I wish I had the opportunity to see life that way. You know through your eyes." Lucas smiled.

"You will when things start looking up for you." Riley laughed.

"Hey whenever that is I'm ready for it." Lucas smiled.

It was one week later and Lucas had just gotten home from school. He had wanted to spend time with Riley after school to put the finishing touches on their project, however of course naturally Riley had wanted to spend time with Norman.

"Lucas there's more mail for you." Mrs. Friar responded.

"Thanks mom…" Lucas smiled up to his mother.

"Other college applications honey?" Mrs. Friar asked.

"Yeah." Lucas said nervously.

"Well good luck sweetie…" Mrs. Friar said turning her back to continue cooking. "Hey mom do you mind if I step out for a while. I need to see someone."

"Sweetie you can just tell me your going over to see Riley." Mrs. Friar laughed.

"How do you know I'm going to see Riley?" Lucas laughed.

"Because whenever you get nervous about something she's the first person you go to. I don't know how she does it, but she's always been able to comfort you." Mrs. Friar laughed.

"She's the only one who can keep me calm in this situation." Lucas pointed out grabbing his jacket.

Riley opened her apartment door when she heard a loud obnoxious banging. Normally she would think this would be her Uncle Eric, but she knew he was out of town on a business trip. She opened the door to reveal Lucas who was now probably driving the downstairs neighbors insane with his constant pacing.

"Lucas? It's 8 at night what's up?" Riley questioned.

"Riles…Hey…" Lucas smiled. "I just wanted to come and see you. See how you've been doing and all that."

"Lucas…What's really going on here?" Riley asked.

"I got my admissions letters from more colleges I got into. I was hoping I could open them with you. You know because you're my source of comfort."

"Really? I'm you're source of comfort?" Riley asked shocked.

"Well yeah. I mean who else would be crazy enough to deal with me?" Lucas asked.

"I guess me…" Riley laughed.

"Anyways these are the final colleges that I applied to. I just wanted you to be here so I could open them in front of you." Lucas stated.

"Fair enough." Riley replied. "So what are we waiting for? Let's see what they say."

"Wait… I'm nervous." Lucas admitted.

"What's there to be nervous about?" Riley asked. "Lucas if you get rejected from these schools there are other schools out there that I know would be extremely thrilled to have you as one of their students."

"I guess that these envelopes are going to tell me exactly where I'm going to be in about four years. It's a creepy thought." Lucas replied.

Riley put a comforting hand on Lucas' shoulder giving him a signal that she was always going to be there for him no matter what the turnout was going to be. Lucas gave one more nervous look at Riley still unsure if he was going to be able to do this.

"Lucas your going to be fine. Like I said, any school would be incredibly lucky to have you in it. You're a talented and smart individual you're every schools dream student." Riley smiled. "So you have nothing to worry about I'm sure that in the end the results are going to be just fine."

"Thank you Riles." Lucas smiled. "

"For what?" Riley asked.

"For doing exactly what you do." Lucas smiled. "For being able to appreciate the good in me. Not a lot of people take the time to see past my dark past, but your one of those people who have." Lucas stated.

"Hey people change right?" Riley asked. "Now get on with it…" Riley nudged Lucas as she practically shoved the various envelopes into his hand.

"OK hold your horses in the stable…" Lucas laughed. Lucas began with the first envelope from Washington State University. Lucas looked at Riley one more time, and he saw that reassuring face once again. "Oh my god…." Lucas gasped.

"You got in didn't you?" Riley smiled.

"I got in!" Lucas yelled pulling Riley in for a gigantic hug.

"I told you, you would get in somewhere and now you have. Congratulations Lucas I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you Riley that means the world to me to hear you say that." Lucas smiled proudly.

"Now go on, open the rest of them…" Riley encouraged.

"I don't know if I should I am so happy right now I don't want to ruin the my mood." Lucas laughed.

"Just open them…" Riley said swatting him on the chest.

"Whatever you say Ms. Bossy pants." Lucas laughed. "OK this one is from UCLA." Lucas said as he began to open the envelope again. "I got in to UCLA too!" Lucas said kind of shocked. "OK this next one is from Boston University…" Lucas said as he opened the envelope. "Waitlisted but that's not the end of the world…" Lucas laughed.

"And the last one?" Riley motioned to the final envelope sitting on Lucas' lap.

"I don't want to know what's in that one…" Lucas moaned. "It's my parents alma matter… University of Phoenix. If I don't get in I'm going to feel like such a disappointment."

"Lucas you aren't a disappointment." Riley reassured him. "No matter what the result may be, I'm positive your parents will be proud of you."

"I guess your right." Lucas nodded. "Might as well get this over with." Lucas nodded as he opened the last envelope. "Oh my god…I actually got in…" Lucas gasped.

"Congrats Lucas. Now all you have to do is make a decision." Riley smiled getting up from the couch. "Want some hot chocolate to celebrate?"

"Sure. I actually didn't think I would have to make this decision. I thought I would get into one school and that would automatically be the one I would go to." Lucas laughed.

"Hey like I told you earlier, any school would be lucky to have you as one of their students." Riley smiled. "I'm glad three schools actually has the conscience to choose you." Riley stated placing a steaming hot cup of cocoa in front of him.

"Thanks again Riley for believing in me. Even when I didn't believe in myself, you always found a way to believe in me somehow." Lucas smiled.

"That's what best friends are for right?" Riley smiled. "I've got your back."

"Thanks that means the world to me…" Lucas paused. "All of these colleges…Their so far away from New Haven." Lucas said sadly. "And half of them are going to be across the country. I don't know if I'm going to be able to make it without seeing you everyday."

"It's going to be hard not seeing all of our friends but it's something that we need to do right?" Riley pointed out.

"But your much more than a friend in my eyes…" Lucas confessed. "Riles…I'm still in love with you and I know that breaking up with you now was one of the worst decisions that I've ever made in my entire life. Because there is absolutely nobody on the face of the earth who could possibly replace you." Lucas said grabbing Riley's hands. "Riles…Please…I want you back in my life." Lucas said sadly. "My life just hasn't been the same without you in it."

Lucas grabbed Riley's face and slowly leaned in. He had been wanting to do this the minute she walked out of his condo unit a couple of months ago. "I love you Princess…So much…." Lucas whispered before he united their lips together for the first time in about five months. And her lips were exactly the same softness from the last time. Lucas poured all of his emotion into the kiss, he wanted to let Riley know that he had never forgotten about her and that he still loved her with all of his heart.

"Lucas…I can't…" Riley said breaking away from the kiss.

"Wait are you telling me that that kiss didn't mean anything to you?" Lucas asked shocked.

"Lucas that's the thing. That kiss…It reminded me why I fell for you in the first place."

"Then that's a good thing…" Lucas said happily.

"No it's not…" Riley said. "Because if I somehow manage to fall in love with you again and my heart ends up breaking again, I don't know how I'm possibly going to handle it."

"Riles I never meant to hurt you…I just thought that we were moving too fast. But that was a huge mistake." Lucas said grabbing her hands. "I never should have let you out of my sight. And I promise, I will never hurt you again. It's you and me princess, forever."

Riley knew in her heart that hearing those words from Lucas was all of the confirmation she needed. She leaned in closer to Lucas and immediately reunited their lips once again. She had missed him so much during their breakup. But what he had said, was all Riley needed to know. She needed to know that Lucas was never going to hurt her again, and that he would always be hers.

"I missed you so much Lucas…" Riley whispered softly.

"I missed you a lot more…" Lucas admitted wrapping his arms tightly around Riley. "And there is no way that I am going to let you go ever again."

"That's all I need to know…" Riley responded. "How am I supposed to tell Norman about this?"

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better I'll be there with you when you tell him." Lucas smiled.

"Thanks…" Riley smiled. "So Huckleberry where do we go now?"

"With you…I'll go anywhere." Lucas smiled as he pulled Riley in for another kiss.


	10. Their Reality

**FOREVER…**

* * *

 _ **Their Reality…**_

* * *

Riley pulled away as she stared at Lucas. She was looking for any sign that he was pulling a practical joke on her. But all she saw in his eyes was the same look that he had continuously given her when they were still together. Lucas pecked Riley's cheek once again as he placed one of his soft delicate hands on her cheek.

"Hey is something wrong?" He wondered.

"No nothing's wrong. I was just trying to see if you were pulling a practical joke or something." Riley replied.

"Babe I would never pull something like that." Lucas stated bringing Riley in for a hug. "I promise this isn't a practical joke. I've missed you so much Riles that I couldn't go another day knowing that you weren't mine…"

"So are we back to where we were before?" Riley asked innocently.

"I think we are for sure." Lucas smiled happily wrapping his arms around Riley. "So what should we do for our first official date as a reunited couple?"

"I think we should…" Riley was cut off by her phone ringing. "Oh my god Norman…"

"Answer it…" Lucas encouraged.

"Norman what's up?" Riley asked curious.

"Hi Riles…" Norman sounded like he was crying on the other end of the line.

"Norman is everything OK?" Riley asked concerned.

"It's my younger brother…He's in the hospital." Norman explained.

"Oh my god what happened?" Riley asked worried.

"Please just come to the hospital and I promise everything is going to make sense." Norman explained.

"I promise I will try to make it there as quick as possible." Riley stated.

"What's going on?" Lucas asked confused. "Is everything OK?"

"Norman just called. He sounded pretty upset." Riley explained. "He told me he wanted me to meet him at the hospital so he can explain everything."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Lucas questioned.

"No I need you to stay here to watch Auggie." Riley explained as she put on her jacket. "My parents are out on their weekend date night and I don't think they will be home anytime soon."

"Do you think it's serious?" Lucas asked nervously.

"I won't know until I see him I guess but I hope it isn't as bad as he's making it out to be." Riley replied.

"We still need to tell him what's happened between us and our new relationship." Lucas replied.

"Oh gosh…" Riley began pacing back and forth in the living room. "We're probably going to make his day a lot worse." Riley sighed. "You know how much I hate making people sad…"

"Look we don't have to tell him just yet." Lucas explained. "It sounded like he was going through a lot just now maybe we can tell him a little later on when everything is going to clear up." Lucas suggested.

"I better go check up on him." Riley replied giving Lucas one more peck on the lips.

* * *

Riley made her way through Beth Israel Memorial Hospital trying to find Norman. She was still confused as to why he had called her sounding so upset. As she turned the corner she found him sitting alone in the corner sipping a steaming hot cup of hot chocolate.

"Norman…I came as soon as you called is everything OK?" Riley questioned.

"No…" Norman simply stared straight at the wall. "My little brother…He got beaten up by a mob."

"Oh my god…" Riley whispered as she pulled up a chair across from him. "Did the doctors say how he's doing?"

"He's…" Norman took a deep breath as the facts were still kind of hard for him to face. "He's suffered a punctured lung and severe head trauma…There taking him into surgery now." He finished.

"Norman you don't need to worry about him…He's with the best doctors in the world." Riley reassured him.

"It's the reason why he was beat that still makes me upset." He replied.

"If you don't mind me asking why was he beat?" Riley wondered.

"He was gay…" Norman flat out stated.

"Oh my god…" Riley said shocked. "This must connect to the recent hate crimes that have been targeted against LGBT members in the city…"

"He was the tenth one this month." Norman sighed. "Riley what the hell was I thinking? I should have gone with him to the library to make sure that he was going to be OK. If I had gone with him, I would have been able to protect him from this happening. If I had just used my noggin this entire thing would have been stopped." Norman sighed.

"Norman you can't blame yourself for what these horrible people did. It was their choice and you have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. They chose to commit this crime. You didn't orchestrate it." Riley explained.

"You know he wasn't even out to our parents yet. They thought this whole entire thing was just a bunch of thugs beating an innocent person." Norman sighed. "He was planning to come out to our parents soon but he was always afraid of what they would think of him once he did. He always had this fear of rejection."

"Once he gets out of this OK you never know, maybe he could one day find the courage to truly come out." Riley said hopefully.

"It always makes me upset you know, that cruel and heartless people would do such despicable things to individuals who were normal human beings just like them. And they choose not to see past the barrier of their sexual identity." Norman sighed.

"It makes no sense to me either." Riley replied.

"But unfortunately we can't change the way people think either." Riley explained. "Some people choose to stay close minded no matter how wrong that is."

"Why can't there be more people like you in this world? You always manage to see the best in everyone no matter what they've done in the past." Norman smiled. "It's one of the things that I love about you."

"Wait…What?" Riley said shocked.

"I've known for a while now that I've had strong feelings for you but now I finally know what those feelings are. It's love Riles…"

Riley had a look of pure shock and terror all mixed together written on her face. Not only did Norman just profess his love for her for the very first time, but she finally saw that she didn't love him back. She loved Lucas.

"Look you don't have to say it back to me right away…" Norman stated. "I know this was just out of the blue especially for someone like me. But I can't help but express how I feel. If this event taught me anything, it's that I should never take the people in my life for granted. And right now, you are the most important person in my life Riles. And I never want to lose you." Norman confessed.

"Norman look don't you think your moving a little too fast? I mean we've only been dating for two months." Riley replied.

"And it took me those two months to realize that you're the only one for me." Norman confessed. "Look I know I just said this out of the blue, but it's nothing but the truth."

* * *

Riley walked into the apartment with a confused look on her face. She noticed Lucas was casually flipping through the channels. She pressed a soft kiss into his hair as he looked up from the television.

"Hi princess…" Lucas smiled as he brought Riley into his arms. "That was a quick visit is everything OK with Norman?"

"His younger brother was the latest victim of those hate crimes against LGBT youth." Riley sighed.

"Oh my god…You didn't tell him about us did you?" Lucas asked afraid.

"Of course not. That would be way too much for him to handle." Riley pointed out.

"Now I feel like a jerk…" Lucas sighed.

"Hey it wasn't your fault that we got back together…" Riley laughed. "I guess it was just bad timing especially on Norman's end."

"Why do you say that?" Lucas questioned.

"He confessed something to me today in the spur of the moment." Riley replied.

"What did he confess?" Lucas asked confused.

"He told me he loved me." Riley replied.

"Please tell me your joking…" Lucas sighed running his hands through his hair in frustration. "What did you say?"

"I couldn't say anything. You know I love you Lucas…" Riley replied grabbing a hold of Lucas' hands. "But between what's happened between his brother and us getting back together I just couldn't be able to tell him the truth." Riley replied.

"Well this is an unfortunate situation." Lucas sighed.

"You can say that again." Riley replied wrapping her arms around Lucas' neck and burying her face into his chest. "Can we just drop it for the rest of the night and just focus on being together?"

Lucas could only nod as he tightened his grip on Riley. He could not even begin to imagine what Norman could possibly could be going through at this moment, Lucas was worried how he was going to react to his new relationship with Riley. He knew that Norman must have been feeling so helpless and vulnerable. And this news could possibly push him over the edge which is something that Lucas didn't want happening. Even though he hated Norman for having Riley as a previous girlfriend, he still thought he was a pretty cool guy and he thought that nobody should ever be put through what he was currently going through in life.

* * *

The next day, there was a missing member from their normal group at the lunch table. Riley and Lucas had just filled the rest of their friends in on the events of the past twelve hours.

"Well that's just a shitty situation…" Maya commented.

"You aren't helping Maya." Riley groaned.

"How do you think Norman is going to react once we tell him that you and Lucas are back together?" Farkle wondered.

"That's what I'm worried about the most buddy." Lucas sighed. "He's been through so much over the past twelve hours that this news might just push him over the edge. That's the last thing that I want to see happen." Lucas stated.

"So you two are just going to keep this from him for as long as you can?" Farkle asked confused.

"I guess until the time is right." Riley replied.

"But the longer that you put off telling him that the both of you are together don't you think he will be in more pain when he finds out?" Farkle wondered.

"Farkle this is seriously not the right time to spring it out on him…" Riley sighed.

"Well the longer that you do put it off, the more he's going to be hurt once he discovers the truth." Farkle stated.

"For once me and Farklestein over here agree on something. Riles, you two need to tell him what's really going on here." Maya commented.

"There is seriously no rush in telling him you two, the both of us will tell him whenever he is ready and when his younger brother is better of course." Riley replied.

"I still think your making a big mistake with not telling him." Farkle sighed.

"Farkle seriously let it go…" Riley laughed.

The four best friends walked into their English class and weren't surprised when they didn't see Norman in his normal chair up front. Riley took Lucas' hand as the both of them went to go sit down in their normal seats behind Norman.

"It's going to be a while till we see him isn't it?" Lucas whispered.

"It might be longer than expected." Felicity pointed out. She lived on Riley's floor and was Norman's next door neighbor.

"What do you mean Felicity?" Riley asked.

"Norman's younger brother died via cardiac arrest during surgery late last night." Felicity pointed out.

Riley dropped her water bottle at that point. That was the last thing that she wanted to hear come out of her mouth. She was in a state of pure shock and heartbreak. She could not even begin to imagine what Norman could possibly be going through right now, as she turned to the rest of the group they had the same look of disbelief on their faces. They were definitely in one gigantic pickle that was going to be a tough one to get out of.

* * *

It was a couple of days later, Riley walked into the funeral home with the rest of their friends. She saw Norman sitting in the front of the small chapel with the rest of his family. Lucas took a hold of her hand to show his support as Riley continued walking forward towards him. She began to breathe heavily knowing what she had to do. She had been hiding their secret relationship for two weeks now. She began to realize that Maya and Farkle were absolutely right. Hiding their relationship was not the right thing to do. There was no right way to tell him the truth, but she knew that it had to be done.

"Don't worry babe…I'll right beside you the entire time." Lucas encouraged.

Riley couldn't help but give him a quick peck on the lips for that. She had the most supportive boyfriend that anyone could ever ask for. She honestly didn't know what she would do without him. Riley gave him one more look as he smiled and tightened his grip on her hand.

"Riles you made it…" Norman said looking up from his feet to see Riley walking toward him.

"I'm so sorry Norman…" Riley whispered bringing him in for a hug.

"Hey you're here now everything is better whenever your around me." Norman whispered.

"Norman look we need to tell you something…" Riley sighed.

"Who's we?" Norman asked.

"Me and Lucas…We're back together…." Riley sighed.

"Your kidding right?" Norman said with disbelief.

"Norman I know this is a lot to take in right now." Riley sighed.

"How long?" Norman asked in a heartbroken voice.

"The night of your brothers accident…" Riley confessed.

"Oh my god…That's why you were quiet when I told you I was in love with you." Norman said shocked.

"Norman really I'm so sorry this happened." Riley whispered.

"How could you let this happen Riley? I cared about you." Norman said heartbroken.

"Norman I know this is unexpected but I just couldn't keep lying myself to myself." Riley explained.

"So you thought it would be OK to lie to me? How is that fair?" Norman questioned.

"Norman I know this sounds unfair but I just can't living my life in a lie…" Riley finished.

"I honestly can't believe this…" Norman sighed.

"I really am sorry." Riley whispered.

"I think all of you so called friends need to leave." Norman said heartbroken.

"Norman…" Riley began. "We're all here for you."

"Well maybe the only person I want to be there for me just broke my heart in a million pieces." Norman sneered. "You two were probably scheming behind my back to get back together and then tell me when my life starts to fall apart."

"Now that's just ridiculous…" Lucas interrupted.

"There's no doubt that you wanted Riley all for yourself." Norman argued back. "You two were probably seeing each other behind my back."

"OK now that's the furthest thing from the truth. Yes I missed Riley, but I respected her relationship with you so of course I didn't just swoop in and take her from you." Lucas pointed out.

"But you still took the most important thing left in my life." Norman said heartbroken.

"Do you think I wanted this to go down this way? Of course not! But I absolutely do not regret it from happening." Lucas stated.

"Well I should have known that our relationship was doomed in the first place. Your Riley and Lucas you've always had this unexplainable chemistry with each other." Norman sighed.

"Finally the man gets the message." Zay sighed while Maya just whacked him in the head. "Wrong timing ain't it?"

"Look Norman I did have feelings for you when we were together, and I'm grateful for what our relationship turned out to be. It taught me a lot…" Riley explained.

"I really think you guys should head off now…" Norman sighed. "I think you've all done enough."

"I really am sorry Norman…" Riley said as the gang respected Norman's wishes and headed out of the small chapel.

* * *

 _ **One Week Later**_

Riley was holding onto Lucas' hand as the both of them climbed up the steps of Riley's apartment building. After a long week of never ending school work, the both of them were looking forward to a quiet Friday night just spent in front of the television eating as much popcorn and chocolate as the both of them could handle. As they turned the corner they were surprised to see Norman standing in front of Riley's apartment building.

"Norman?" Riley asked confused.

"Hi…" Norman said awkwardly. "Look I know you two probably don't want to see me after how I reacted at the funeral home." Norman said. "And for that I really am sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about…" Riley pointed out. "You were going through a lot during that time. So we can't blame you."

"That still doesn't give me right to treat the both of you like that." Norman stated.

"It's all water under the bridge now." Lucas smiled.

"Well the other reason why I came to see you Riles is to say goodbye…" Norman stated.

"Wait where are you going?" Riley asked shocked.

"I'm off to start a new life in Chicago away from New York City… It has way too many painful memories. I'm going to be starting at University of Chicago next year anyways so I thought I would transfer schools to get myself accustomed to the new environment." Norman explained.

"Well we're going to miss having you around here." Riley replied.

"Don't worry I'll be sure to come back for the summer to visit you all I would be too lonely without you guys." Norman laughed.

"So are we good?" Lucas asked extending his hand towards Norman.

"We're good…" Norman said shaking his hand firmly.

The three old friends soon found themselves in a group hug. Riley had to smile, knowing that they were able to get over the awkwardness and hurt that the events of the past week had brought into Norman's life. Yet again, Norman wasn't the kind of person to hold a grudge for very long.

"Now go kill it in Chicago no matter where you end up I know your going to be amazing." Riley smiled.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Riles…" Norman smiled. "Take care of her Friar, if she comes to tell me you broke up with her you're a dead man."

"You don't have to worry about that Norman. I learned my lesson the first time, I promise I won't let her go ever again. She means way too much to me."

"That's good…" Norman smiled. "Because you two are definitely meant to be together forever."


	11. Their Third First Date

**FOREVER…**

* * *

 **THEIR "THIRD OFFICIAL FIRST DATE"**

* * *

As the bell rang throughout the high school a stampede of hundreds of feet made their way into the hallways. It was one week of freedom for everyone. As Juniors, the pressures of exams were finally over with. However it was also the most scariest part of their high school careers. This week was officially when colleges would be handing out the final scholarship offers to their students. One particular member from the group was more nervous about it.

"Maya pretty soon your going to dig a hole into the bakery floor from all of that pacing." Riley laughed from behind the counter.

"Easy for you to say Riles you already know where you are off to in a couple of years. Meanwhile this week is the final week for Juliard to offer scholarships to incoming seniors." Maya sighed. "And I haven't heard from them yet." Maya sighed.

"I haven't even checked the mail recently sweetie. You never know it could be sitting in the mailbox right now." Katie smiled.

"I should have gotten an email or something." Maya sighed.

"OK I think we need to break…" Lucas suggested. "How about a movie night at my house just like we used to do."

"That actually sounds decent." Farkle added.

"I don't know…" Maya sighed.

"Look Maya it's our job to distract you from this so I think this is actually a good idea." Riley explained. "We've all been so stressed recently so I think that it's actually a good way to wind down after all of the stress."

"Sounds like a plan then…" Maya smiled. "You guys are really something."

"Hey it's our job to distract you…" Farkle laughed.

"So what about tomorrow we just use it to wind down and just enjoy each others company?" Riley suggested.

"Sounds good to me…" Maya nodded while Farkle agreed. "Well I wish I could spend more time with you losers but my art portfolio and acting reel is calling me I totally need to revamp it to make sure I stick out."

"And then there were two…" Riley whispered into Lucas ear.

"Thank God…" Lucas laughed while wrapping his arms around Riley's waist easily.

The both of them continued to enjoy each others company during Riley's shift at the bakery. They talked about almost everything which is what Lucas loved about Riley. They could talk about any topic for hours on end, including basketball. Lucas smiled when the memory of their conversation from their very first date came into his mind once again. That was the moment he was positive that he had fallen head over heels in love with Riley Matthews.

"You know what I just finally realized?" Riley said coming around the counter after she had finished wiping down the counter.

"That you have the most amazing boyfriend ever?" Lucas smirked.

"Not only that…" Riley laughed while wrapping her arms around Lucas' waist. "But the fact that the both of us haven't gone on our third official "first date" yet." Riley laughed.

"I guess we should fix that huh?" Lucas smirked.

"Already taken care of…" Riley smiled while taking a blind fold out of her backpack.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Lucas laughed.

"It's my turn to surprise you…" Riley laughed.

"You've been planning this for a while now haven't you?" Lucas laughed.

"I've had this idea in mind for the whole day." Riley replied. "Now go on, put it on…" Riley laughed

"Shouldn't I be the one surprising you?" Lucas pouted.

"Hey…There should be absolutely no reason as to why I can't surprise you once in a while. You always find a way to surprise me…Now let me take this opportunity for me to surprise you." Riley explained.

"OK but this isn't going to be a regular thing. I still get to surprise you most of the time." Lucas said extending his hands.

"Um Lucas what are you doing?" Riley laughed.

"I want a hug silly…" Lucas laughed.

* * *

It was a couple of minutes later as Riley easily guided Lucas down the three steps leading to the rooftop. Riley had to smile at the handiwork of their closest friends who had fled the scene just like Riley had instructed. Lucas held out his hands trying to figure out where they were.

"You cannot just stay patient can you?" Riley giggled.

"Again you can't blame me…" Lucas pointed out. "This is the first time that you are surprising me so of course my interest level just went up to a billion." Lucas smirked.

"Well…" Riley placed a soft kiss on Lucas' lips. "Your about to find out…" Riley whispered as she placed another chaste kiss onto his cheek. "What the big surprise is…" Riley finished as she placed a soft kiss on Lucas' neck while she untied the blindfold from behind his head.

Lucas had to blink a couple of times to get used to the light that filled the rooftop. But once it did, he was shocked to see how beautifully decorated it was. The edges of the roof were lined with Christmas lights and a picnic basket laid on top of a picnic blanket on the rooftop. Lucas simply turned to Riley with a look of pure shock.

"Riles how….What is all of this?"

"Well if you must know, this is a homemade Texas dinner. Complete with the perfect barbecued baby back ribs, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and biscuits and gravy…" Riley smirked.

"Wow…You are incredible…" Lucas smiled wrapping his arms around Riley and pressing several kisses on her lips. "You went through all of this trouble just to make my favorite meal?"

"Of course I did you deserve it." Riley smiled.

"What in Lord's name did I do to deserve you?" Lucas sighed happily holding Riley tighter.

"You were just being your normal Texas self that innocent Cowboy experiencing the big city for the first time, that's what made me fall in love with you." Riley simply replied.

"Well I know I keep saying this but this is absolutely true. I would not have survived the mean streets of New York City if it wasn't for you. You changed me Riles and you turned me into someone who I hated, into someone who I always wanted to be. So for that, I thank you." Lucas responded.

"OK that's enough for the sappiness our dinners getting cold…" Riley laughed while the couple both walked towards the blanket.

"So how long did it take you to come up with this idea?" Lucas laughed.

"Three minutes actually…" Riley replied as she pulled out the containers of food.

"Well it's perfect so those three minutes were well spent…" Lucas responded.

The next hour was just filled with the both of them laughing and reminiscing about the amazing memories that the both of them shared together. Riley had to smile knowing that their relationship was finally back to the way it was before.

"You know, I'm going to miss having our special moments together once we head off to college…" Riley stated as the both of them were lying down on the blanket and looking up at the star filled sky,

"Which is why I'm not looking forward to going off to college…" Lucas sighed. "But trust me, even though we may be apart nothing is going to change the fact that I'm always going to love you." Lucas responded while placing a soft kiss onto her cheek.

"Speaking of college have you decided where you headed off to?" Riley wondered.

"I'm between two colleges now but I can't choose…I want to go to them both." Lucas sighed.

"Where do you plan on going?" Riley asked sitting up.

"I'm between Washington State and Phoenix. There's the whole thing of Phoenix being my parents alma matter but Washington State is where I've always wanted to go, plus I'll still be close to the city so I can be able to drive up to visit over the weekends or take the train during the weekends." Lucas explained.

"I think you just made the decision for yourself babe…" Riley laughed.

"Do you really think that I'm making the right choice Riles?" Lucas wondered.

"Lucas the only person who can truly tell you if you are making the right decision or not is yourself. You need to listen to your heart and not let your brain win most of the time the heart is always right." Riley replied.

"And just think we're just going to be a short 45 minute flight away from each other so the both of us can visit whenever we wanted." Lucas smiled. "It makes it a lot better being just a short flight away and not halfway across the country."

"That makes it a lot better…" Riley replied. "I'm still going to miss you though."

"Me too…" Lucas sighed. "It scares me knowing that your off to Yale all alone and you won't have anybody there for you."

"That's actually not true babe…Farkle got into Yale a couple of weeks ago…" Riley pointed out.

"Wait really?" Lucas asked surprised.

"Yeah he's off to Yale to become the world's next scientist." Riley laughed.

"Geez I've missed so much over the past couple of months…" Lucas said guilty that he had missed so much with his friends.

"Hey we're all back to normal now. So you don't have to worry about it." Riley replied.

"I'm glad about that." Lucas smiled.

"And if it makes you feel any better, we have about a year and a half before all of us head off in different directions. That's plenty of time for us to get back to the way we were before we broke up." Riley stated.

"That's plenty of time for all of us to have a lot more memories together. Plus we still got to have the most epic senior year yet." Lucas laughed.

"You already have an idea for the senior prank don't you?" Riley giggled.

"Nah I'm leaving that up to Maya." Lucas laughed.

* * *

It was the next night as the rest of the gang was now gathered in the Friar household just as they had planned. Lucas walked into the living room carrying their various movie snacks, while Riley helped bring in the cans of soda.

"Finally what took you two so long?" Farkle teased.

"They were probably sucking each others lips off again…" Zay laughed harder.

"Hey you can't blame me…" Lucas teased.

"You know I'm glad we're all back to normal again…" Riley laughed.

"Let's face it we can't go that long being mad at each other." Farkle smiled. "We all need each other especially now."

"Wait…Where's Maya?" Lucas asked wondering why the fiery blonde wasn't there.

"Apparently she had to do something before heading over here she should be over soon though…" Zay pointed out.

They were interrupted with a frantic knocking on the front door. Riley got up from the couch to go and answer it and came face to face with a heartbroken Maya.

"Maya what happened?" Riley wondered.

"I really don't want to talk about it Riles…" Maya pointed out.

"Maya come on we're all friends here we're here to listen what's up?" Farkle asked.

"I didn't get it…" Maya sobbed.

"Oh Maya I'm so sorry.." Riley replied as she brought Maya in for a hug. "They don't know what their missing."

"This was my dream…They took the one thing that I cared about the most and just stomped on it like a bunch of elephants." Maya sobbed.

"Hey there are other schools out there that could possibly take you in." Farkle pointed out.

"Look you probably wouldn't understand because you got into the best school there is. And of course I get the short end of the stick and end up getting disappointed." Maya continued. "Bad luck is always on my side and I was stupid enough to think that maybe this time would be a lot more different from the rest of the others because I worked my ass off for this scholarship. And I thought that maybe that would be the trick to getting into college." Maya sighed. "But yet again I was disappointed."

"Maya it may not seem like it now, but there is something out there for you. And it will come when you least expect it. That's just how life is." Lucas pointed out.

"I just don't want to be disappointed again." Maya continued.

The group of friends all gathered into a group hug. It was the only way they knew how to comfort her for now. As Maya continued to sob, she was just grateful that she still had these group of people who would always be there for her. She had no idea what she would do without them.


	12. Their Sick Valentine's Day

**FOREVER…**

* * *

 **THEIR "SICK" VALENTINES DAY**

* * *

It was a Friday night and two days before the huge Valentine's Day dance that took place every single year in the school gym. And for once, Lucas Friar was not looking forward to it. However it was for another reason. He had been bed ridden for the entire week with hypothermia. If only he had talked Zay out of ice fishing on the Hudson River a couple weekends ago, they wouldn't even had run into that situation. He still had to shake his head in annoyance that he had trusted Zay into doing this. Lucas was brought out of his thoughts when he heard his bedroom door open and saw the only person who could make any situation that he was going through sound better even though it wasn't.

"Hey Friar…" Riley smiled as she sat down next to his bed.

"Riles…You came.." Lucas said weakly.

"I've been coming over here since last week I'm surprised you're surprised that I'm here. I thought you would have been accustomed to it by now." Riley laughed.

"You know you really don't need to check in on me. It's just a simple cold…" Lucas said. His voice had obvious signs of the cold that he was trying so hard to fight off. "I'm sorry I have to miss out on the Valentine's Day dance."

"Hey if your not going I'm not going…" Riley replied.

"Riles you should go…You spent so much money on that dress…" Lucas pointed out.

"Hey we could always reuse it for prom next year. Just make sure you're not sick for that…" Riley teased.

"Trust me, I will be sure to take you into prom next year. We're going to be the best couple there ever was…" Lucas laughed.

"But for now we need to take care of you. How's the fever?" Riley wondered.

"Well it's gone down a lot since the last time I checked. Which is a good sign right?" Lucas wondered.

"Yeah it's a good sign…" Riley began as she took a wet wash cloth and began wiping away the sweat from Lucas' forehead and face. "But we need to be careful because we never know when it might come back…" Riley said.

"I just want to get better…" Lucas moaned. "I already feel bad that I'm missing out on our Valentine's Day date but I seriously think I'm getting claustrophobia from being stuck in this room for so long."

"Well you have some company for the weekend…" Riley said. "I told my parents that I'm staying over here for the weekend to take care of you…" Riley smiled.

"You didn't…" Lucas said shocked. "Riles I can't ask you to do that for me…"

"But I am…" Riley replied. "Lucas you're my boyfriend and besides, wouldn't you enjoy my company until you get better?"

"I feel guilty…" Lucas pouted.

"You don't need to silly…Now enough talking and just take it easy…" Riley smiled.

"Thank you Riles…" Lucas said as he wrapped his arm weakly around her waist. "And I promise as soon as I do get better, I owe you a Valentine's Day date…" Lucas smiled.

"You don't owe me anything. Just get yourself better and we'll both be even." Riley laughed.

As Lucas began to close his eyes, Riley had already began formulating a stellar plan. She knew how badly Lucas had wanted to go on a Valentine's Day date with her, so she thought that if he couldn't go on a Valentine's date, why not bring the date to him? Riley immediately knew exactly what to do to cheer Lucas up. She whipped out her phone and began texting all of the available members from their squad. They only had a couple of hours to pull it off, but she felt that she could do it.

* * *

A couple hours later, Lucas awoke from his nap feeling slightly better but he could still feel that he had a fever and a raging cold that just wouldn't go away. He looked around his room and was surprised to find that Riley wasn't in the chair next to his bed anymore. As he looked at his bedside table he found a heart shaped sticky note and a box of white chocolate cookies that smelled like they were freshly made.

 _Happy Valentines Day to the best boyfriend in the entire world…Head into the living room for a "special" surprise. Xo xo xo_

 _Your Princess._

Lucas had to smile as he read the note. He took the freshly made cookies and the note and made sure that he put on his bathrobe since he knew that the heater in the condo was broken. Lucas slowly opened his bedroom door and made his way into the living room.

"Baby…" Lucas whispered in a harsh voice.

"Happy Valentine's Day Lucas…" Riley smiled as she walked up towards him.

Lucas had to smile once he saw Riley in his favorite dress on her and her hair up in a bun. He didn't know how he could have possibly gotten so lucky in life, that he had this beautiful human being as a girlfriend.

"You look absolutely amazing…" Lucas smiled bringing her in for a hug. "I wish I could kiss you…"

"We don't want the both of us getting sick now do we?" Riley teased.

"Ugh why can't I get any better?" Lucas moaned. "This cold is literally killing me physically and mentally…"

"Well I made something that I hope will brighten your mood…" Riley smiled.

Riley took Lucas' hand and dragged him into the living room. As Lucas walked into the living room his jaw fell on the floor. His entire living room was decorated with fairy lights and several tea lights lying on the floor. In the middle of the room, Riley successfully set up a fort made out of blankets and several pillows.

"So what do you think?" Riley questioned.

"Riles this is…Wow…" Lucas said shocked. "How did you find the time to do all of this?"

"Well we have some amazing friends who were willing to help out." Riley replied.

"This looks amazing Riles…Thank you…" Lucas smiled pulling Riley in closer and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"It was nothing really…You haven't even seen what I made you for dinner…" Riley teased.

"You made dinner?" Lucas asked excitedly. Riley had recently picked up quite the talent for cooking and had been testing out several dishes on all of her friends and she was one heck of a cook.

"You bet I did…Oh that reminds me I need to get the food out of the oven before it burns…" Riley said excitedly as she walked over to the kitchen. "You have a seat in the fort and I'll be out in a minute I promise…" Riley said from the kitchen.

"Honestly Riles you are the best girlfriend on the planet. I honestly don't deserve to have you…" Lucas said as he got himself seated inside the comfortable fort.

"You can stop saying that because you do deserve me." Riley laughed as she entered into the living room once again, but this time she was carrying a picnic basket. "Now for tonight's dinner I thought I would make our favorite dishes. Cheesy garlic bread, a freshly homemade lasagna, and most importantly a red velvet cake…" Riley smiled.

"You went through all of this effort just to make sure I felt better?" Lucas asked in complete disbelief.

"Of course I did. I know you were bummed that you were missing the big Valentine's Day dance in a couple of days so I thought that I would brighten up your mood and decided to make this romantic dinner for the both of us to enjoy…" Riley smiled.

"Thank you Riles…This means everything to me…" Lucas smiled pulling Riley in for a hug.

"Now enough talking and let's get to the eating." Riley laughed as she began to pull out the garlic bread from the basket.

Over the course of the next two hours the couple enjoyed each others company just like they normally did. Graduation was only four months away, so Lucas planned on spending as much time with Riley and showing her how much she really meant to him before the both of them went their separate ways for college.

"Would it be crazy to say that I'm nervous about going to college?" Lucas asked as he pulled Riley close to him as the both of them were now lying down on the comfortable pillows and looking out towards the New York City night sky through the windows.

"Of course not…Because I'm as scared as you are." Riley admitted. "You're scared of being alone in the real world and I am too…" Riley confessed.

"You really think we're going to be OK?" Lucas asked. "Being in a long distance relationship and everything?"

"In all honesty I think we're going to be just fine." Riley replied. "We've been through a lot during our relationship and it's taught us a lot about what it really means to be in love."

"It sure has…You think it's going to be me and you forever?" Lucas wondered.

"Of course I do…" Riley said leaning up on her elbow. "Don't you?"

"I do too…" Lucas smiled as he wrapped the blanket around the both of them. "I still need to live out my childhood dream of raising four kids…But now I know who I'm going to be living that dream with…" Lucas laughed.

"Four kids I can most definitely live with that…" Riley teased. "Two of each."

"That would be something now wouldn't it?" Lucas smiled. "I could see it now. The six of us living in a townhouse in the upper east side of Manhattan. I'm the city's most trusted veterinarian…"

"And I'll be the nurse that all the kids want taking care of them…" Riley giggled.

"Sounds like a perfect plan to me…" Lucas laughed. "It's insane to think that we have our entire lives already figured out. "

"Now we have something to look forward to…" Riley said as she wrapped her arms around Lucas' neck. "Whenever the time comes that we're ready to officially start a family we're definitely going to be ready." Riley laughed.

"I can't wait…" Lucas laughed as he laid back down. "You know this just might be the best Valentine's date ever…" Lucas smiled. "But if I'm all better by Sunday night, it's my turn to surprise you." Lucas smirked as he placed several kisses down Riley's cheek.

* * *

Soon enough Sunday did roll around and Lucas miraculously got better over the past couple of days. He still had a bit of a cold but he was feeling a whole lot better compared to a couple of days ago. He had been working all day trying to get everything ready for when Riley would come back. She had currently headed over to Shawn's place to help Maya out with a photography project and Lucas made sure that Maya would keep her there for most of the day. He had to smile at his handiwork once he had finished transforming the Matthew's living room into a very special space. He had laid rose petals all over the floor and set up candles sitting on the small dining table that he had brought from his condo. He had to smile knowing that it was finally time for the bth of them to have the Valentine's Day date that they had both wanted. Soon enough Lucas heard the front door begin to open and his beautiful princess stepped inside her apartment in a complete look of shock.

"Lucas…How…You're feeling better?" Riley asked in a state of shock.

"Much better thanks to the best nurse on the planet…" Lucas laughed walking towards Riley carrying a bouquet of long stemmed roses. "Happy Valentine's Day sweetheart…" Lucas smiled capturing Riley's face in his hands and bringing her in for a soft kiss.

"I've missed those…" Riley giggled as she pulled Lucas in for another kiss.

"Well I've certainly missed giving them to you…" Lucas laughed. "One of the many reasons as to why I'm feeling better." Lucas smiled. "Now I believe that right this instant the big Valentine's Day dance is happening. And I know how badly the both of us wanted to go, but since I'm still feeling a little under the weather I think I've come up with a compromise." Lucas smiled. As he pressed a remote the familiar song blasted through the portable speakers sitting on top of the Matthew's kitchen table.

"Beauty and the beast…" Riley laughed.

"Our favorite Disney movie…" Lucas smiled. "Now shall we dance my princess?" Lucas teased.

"Well it's the right thing to do…" Riley said as the both of them waltzed through the Matthew's living room. "This is definitely a fairy tale." Riley smiled.

"What is?" Lucas asked confused.

"Our story you fool.." Riley laughed.

"Ohhh…Then yes but it's even better because it's real life." Lucas smiled.


	13. Their Promises

**FOREVER**

 _ **Chapter 13: Their Promise**_

* * *

The day had officially come for our core five friends. It was their final class before they would all head on off to the biggest adventure of their lives. As Cory took a look at his group of students one more time they were all awaiting patiently to see if Mr. Matthews had one more piece of knowledge they wanted to implant into their brains. There were several times in his life where Cory would be left speechless. When Riley and Auggie were born, when Topanga walked down the asile to meet him at their wedding, when he found out they were expecting their first child, when they lost that baby…But this moment was definitely the most heartbreaking out of all of them.

"As you all move on forward after today and into the biggest adventure yet, be sure that all of you stay true to yourselves and follow you're dreams…No matter what anybody else tells you…" Cory said as he began to feel tears making their way down his face. He couldn't believe that he was teaching his final American History lesson to these group of kids who he began teaching for five years of their entire careers. "Because every single one of you is meant to do something in this world…And no matter what it is, it's up to you to not only choose your path but to create your own destiny…" Cory sighed as he heard the bell ring. "Class dismissed." Cory said sadly.

"Thanks dad…" Riley smiled as she wrapped her arms around her father.

"Yeah thanks…" Maya replied soon joining the group hug.

"I can honestly say Mr. Matthews that you're one of the best teachers I've had in my entire school career." Lucas said joining in on the hug fest.

"We're going to miss you…" Farkle replied joining the rest of his friends in the group hug.

"Holly hell I don't need a reason to hug you…" Zay added soon engulfing himself in the group hug.

"Boy there's nothing better than hearing you're students thank you…" Cory laughed.

"Well you deserve it Mr. Matthews…" Farkle replied. "You've taught most of us for seven years now…"

"I have haven't I?" Cory laughed.

"I can't believe so many years have gone by so quickly…Seems like yesterday I freaked out when I found out that you were going to be my fifth grade teacher…" Riley laughed.

"Imagine how I felt when I first landed a teaching job and I had to teach my daughter and most of her friends…" Cory laughed.

"Oh the memories…" Maya laughed.

"Now get out of here children before you all start making me cry…" Cory said getting chocked up already.

Everybody began filing out of the classroom for the final time. Riley looked through the door one final time and sighed. This was it…Her final high school class was officially over.

"Lucas are you coming?" Riley questioned.

"In a moment sweetie I just wanted to ask your dad something about getting my final transcripts over to Washington State on time…" Lucas lied.

"OK I'll see you tonight?" Riley planted a soft kiss to Lucas' kiss.

"You missed again babe…" Lucas teased as he placed a proper kiss on her lips.

"See you soon love…" Riley smiled wrapping her arms around Lucas' muscular body again.

"Can't wait…"Lucas laughed.

Lucas walked towards Mr. Matthews who was pre-occupied marking other exams for the rest of the classes he taught in the high school. He couldn't help but smile knowing that Mr. Matthews was going to continue to teach and educate young minds. He knew that the next generation of students were definitely going to be in great hands under his teaching.

"Mr. Matthews?" Lucas said softly.

"Mr. Friar I thought I dismissed you…" Cory laughed.

"Well I wanted to ask you something important…" Lucas said nervously.

"Oh my god you're going to ask Riley to marry you?!" Cory freaked out.

"Not exactly…" Lucas said even more nervously.

"OK you better go in more details…" Cory said worriedly.

"I was thinking of getting Riley and me promise rings…Because the thing is, I love her and I absolutely can't imagine my life without her…" Lucas began explaining. "I want to keep her in my life forever, and I know that the both of us are not ready to be engaged or even married yet…But I want to promise her that someday whenever we are ready, I will hopefully replace the promise rings with something more beautiful…"

"You really are sure about this aren't you?" Cory laughed.

"Of course Mr. Matthews…" Lucas nodded frantically.

"I am so proud of how the two of you have grown into this beautiful relationship…" Cory said standing up and pulling Lucas in for a hug. "Do you want the truth Mr. Friar? I always thought that you were going to be my daughters husband someday…"

"You did?" Lucas laughed. "When did you know?"

"Oh please the minute you walked into my seventh grade that day, I knew that day my daughters had changed. Because she met her future husband…" Cory explained.

"So you and I both knew that Riley would end up married to me that day…" Lucas teased.

"We did indeed…" Cory laughed.

"Now I need to find the perfect ring for her…" Lucas smiled.

"I would ask my lovely wife for help in that department." Cory smiled as he gathered up his paperwork for the weekend. "Now why don't we go break the news to her together?"

"How do you think she's going to take it?"Lucas laughed.

"I'll bet you 10 bucks she's going to faint…" Cory teased.

* * *

Later on that afternoon Lucas and Cory walked into Topanga's where they knew that Topanga and Katy were finishing up their afternoon shifts. They had timed it out perfectly so they can surprise Topanga as she was finishing her shift. Lucas gulped he was even more nervous to ask for Mrs. Matthews blessing. Because not only was she Riley's mother, but she became his second mother during his time in New York City. Topanga finished wiping down the counter and smiled as she noticed that Cory and Lucas were now in the bakery.

"Hey fella's how was the last day of school for the both of you?" Topanga said giving Cory a quick kiss on the cheek and pulling Lucas in for a hug.

"Kind of emotional really Mrs. Matthews…" Lucas laughed as soon as he broke out of the hug.

"Trust me I had the exact same feelings when I graduated from high school back in the day." Topanga laughed.

"Actually sweetie there's a reason why the both of us stopped by here before we headed back home…" Cory explained.

"What's up?" Topanga asked confused.

"Well…Mrs. Matthews… Um there is something that I need to ask you…" Lucas said nervously.

"Sure what is it?" Topanga asked kind of curious and nervous at the same time.

"I was hoping to ask for your blessing…You see…The thing is…I want to find a promise ring for Riley…" Lucas explained in one big jumble.

In a matter of ten seconds Topanga began to feel light headed and before any of the men in the small bakery could react, Topanga crashed to the hardwood floor. Cory had to hold back a laugh.

"Looks like you owe me 10 bucks…" Cory laughed.

"Seriously Mr. Matthews?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah OK…" Cory agreed as both him and Lucas lifted Topanga's still body onto the soft couches nearby. "Topanga!" Cory began snapping his fingers in a rapid pace.

"What just happened?" Topanga asked confused once she came through.

"You fainted honey…" Cory pointed out.

"This might have been a dream, but I dreamt that Lucas asked my permission to buy Riley a promise ring." Topanga said confused.

"No…That was real…" Lucas said nervously. "Please don't pass out again…" Lucas pleaded.

"Lucas…This is a big step for you and Riley…" Topanga said nervously. "Have you thought this through?"

"I've been thinking about doing this since I got my acceptance letter to Washington State." Lucas confessed. "I always knew that I loved Riley since the day I met her, but it's been a couple months ago that I knew in my heart that Riley is the one that I want to keep in my life." Lucas confessed.

"I am so incredibly happy for the both of you…" Topanga said pulling Lucas in for another hug.

"Does that mean that I have you're blessing?" Lucas asked.

"You have our complete blessing…" Topanga smiled. "Just don't make us grandparents just yet…"

"Oh don't worry about that. That's not going to happen for a while…" Lucas laughed.

"It better not." Cory sneered.

"Cory calm down the boy's already nervous he's shaking like a leaf." Topanga pointed out. "Now I believe that we have a task at hand…" Topanga smiled.

"Why don't you two go? I think you would know Riley's taste in jewelry better than I would." Cory explained.

"Sure sweetie…" Topanga smiled.

* * *

 **The Next Night…**

It was the night before graduation. Riley was sitting on the bench on the roof of her apartment just admiring the way the sun was setting slowly behind The World Trade Center and reflecting off of the Hudson River which was far in the distance. Lucas walked up onto the rooftop holding the small package tightly in his hands. This was the most nerve wracking moment in his entire life. He didn't know how Riley was going to react, if she was even going to like the ring that he picked out. Lucas inhaled deeply as he slowly made his way towards the love of his life. He couldn't believe that he was actually going to change the both of their lives for the better in just a couple of minutes. Lucas wrapped his arms around Riley's eyes and placed several kisses on her cheek.

"Love what are you doing?" Riley giggled still having Lucas' hands covering her eyes.

"I just thought I would surprise you…" Lucas laughed.

"And just how were you planning on doing that?" Riley questioned finally removing Lucas' hands from her eyes.

"What? I don't get a kiss first?" Lucas teased.

"Not until you tell me what's up…" Riley replied giving Lucas a warm hug.

"Well why don't we sit down for this…" Lucas said as he began to sit the both of them down on the bench.

"Wait why do we need to…Oh my god your breaking up with me aren't you?" Riley said shocked.

"No Riles it's exactly the opposite…" Lucas explained.

"What do you mean?" Riley asked confused.

"Riles…I wanted to give you your graduation gift early if that's OK…" Lucas said nervously.

"I thought we were supposed to wait for my grad party next week." Riley asked still confused.

"Well this present is a special one…And I couldn't wait that long to give it to you…" Lucas responded.

Riley just simply nodded. She knew that Lucas must have thought long and hard about what to give Riley since he was currently shaking. And the only thing that could make Lucas shake was if he was shaking from fear or nervousness.

"Well this gift is something that I've been thinking of giving to you for a while now…It's something that I hope is going to be special for the both of us…" Lucas began as he took out the small velvet case that held the two promise rings.

"Oh my god Lucas…" Riley said in complete shock. "I don't know what to say…"

"Riles…These aren't engagement rings…Well not yet anyways…" Lucas replied. Lucas opened the box to unveil two gold rings with their names engraved on them around the infinity symbol. "These are our first official promise rings…And I hope that one day, whenever the both of us are ready that I can replace these rings with something a lot more sentimental." Lucas continued.

"Are these promise rings?" Riley asked in complete shock.

"They are…" Lucas nodded. "And like I said whenever the both of us are ready, I hope I can exchange these into promise rings." Lucas said as Riley pulled him in for a sweet kiss. "I love you Riles…And I will love you for the rest of my life..." Lucas promised as he slipped the ring easily onto Riley's finger.

"And I love you Lucas…I've loved you ever since the first day I fell onto your lap on the subway. I always knew how I felt about you but at least now it's clear…That I've loved you ever since you stole my heart that first day in seventh grade. There's not any other person in this entire world that I would want to spend forever with…And thank you for choosing me to be your partner for the rest of your life…" Riley replied. "It's you and me till the end…" Riley promised as she followed Lucas' footsteps and placed the ring on his finger.

"Till the end…" Lucas promised.

Riley couldn't help but let a couple of tears make their way down her face. This was actually the first time that she had truly felt that her and Lucas would be together. Riley took one look at Lucas and saw all the love that he had for her written all over his face.

"Would you look at this…Graduation and a promise of forever all in 48 hours…" Lucas laughed.

"So you ready for the next adventure?" Riley wondered.

"As long as I have you, I know I will be…" Lucas smiled as Riley pulled him in for another kiss. This time filled with as much love and hope that Lucas had for her. She felt the exact same way about him and she promised herself that night that she would never forget how much they loved one another.


	14. Their Graduation

_**Forever**_

 **Hey guys! Just to let you know both Forever and Girl Meets High School will try to be updated on a bi-weekly basis. I am writing both at the same time and have somehow powered through Forever mostly because the upcoming chapters I have planned are exciting. Some weeks I will update one story over the other, on the rare occasion I will update both but I will promise there will be updates every other week :) now let's get on to the story**

* * *

 _Their High School Graduation_

All of the stress of high school, the sleepless nights, the never ending stress was finally going to be gone in just a couple of hours. All of the seniors were currently gathered in the New York Ballroom for their graduation ceremony that was going to be hosted by none other than their beloved teacher Mr. Matthews. Riley stood in front of a full length mirror taking in her cap and gown. It had been such a long and hard journey to get to where she was today. But, it was all worth it.

"Hey valedictorian…" Farkle smiled as he pulled Riley into a hug. "Congrats we did it…"

"We did it together…" Riley laughed. "Where's everybody else?"

"I'm sure that they will get here eventually." Farkle laughed. "I saw Maya upstairs trying to run away from Shawn and Katy. Shawn brought out the camera again." Farkle laughed.

"I swear those two are never going to learn…" Riley laughed.

"Hey there parents it's their job to embarrass Maya as much as possible." Farkle pointed out.

Soon enough the two valedictorians spotted Maya and Zay both coming down the staircase wearing their matching caps and gowns. Maya had the biggest smile on her face as she approached her friends.

"Who would have thought that I would be able to call myself a high school graduate." Maya laughed as she pulled all of them into a hug.

"I sure didn't…" Zay pointed out while Maya just stomped on his foot.

"Congratulations Maya you deserved it…" Riley smiled as she pulled Maya in for another hug. "And I'm so proud of you for getting into UCLA for art history."

"Dude you weren't supposed to spill the beans! I was totally going to surprise everyone at the party later…" Maya yelled in shock.

"UCLA?" Farkle asked shocked. "Maya this is huge! You got into a prep school…Oh my god Maya Hart just got accepted into one of the most prestigious Universities in America what is happening?!"

"Shut it Farkelstein…" Maya teased slapping Farkle across the head.

"I still can't believe I'm the only one staying in the city…" Zay pouted. "Why did ya'll have to head off so far?"

"Lucas isn't too far. He's just a three hour drive away." Farkle explained.

"But the rest of ya'll are like halfway across the country." Zay sighed.

"Don't worry Zay we still have time to have the best summer ever." Farkle pointed out. "Three months of adventures together."

"Have any of you guys seen Lucas?" Riley asked confused. "The ceremony starts in a couple of minutes."

"I saw his mom and dad in the parking lot a couple of minutes ago." Maya pointed out.

"Then he must be here then…" Riley said confused.

"That's odd he wouldn't miss this graduation especially since you were named valedictorian." Zay pointed out.

"Dad can you hold off until I get back? I need to go find Lucas to make sure he's OK." Riley said in a big jumble.

"Go ahead sweetie…" Cory nodded while he returned to trying to organize everyone else's cap and gown.

* * *

Riley went to the very first place where she thought Lucas would be. The school library. She had to smile when she remembered that one particular moment both her and Lucas shared at the New York City Public Library 24 hours after meeting. Since then, libraries had such a special meaning to their relationship. It was where they first truly connected and where they got to know each other beyond the classroom. And Lucas always states that that is where he learned to fall in love with Riley. Especially when they talked about their hopes and dreams. As Riley made her way towards the back of the library she found Lucas sitting at one of the tables.

"Hey sweetie is everything OK?" Riley asked placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Hey Riles…" Lucas said in a very monotone voice.

"Lucas are you OK?" Riley asked nervously.

"Not really…" Lucas confessed. "Everything is changing so quickly."

"It's a huge part of life…" Riley said as she sat down in the chair next to him.

"I guess I'm really scared about what comes next…I mean all of our friends are off to different parts of the country to make their dreams a reality and…I don't know I'm just scared that when we see each other over Christmas that we are all going to have changed." Lucas sighed.

"Hey…One thing that I do know for sure is that me and you we're a team…And no matter what happens whenever we are in college, know that the both of us are a lot strong and we both have complete faith in each other so there is no possible way that anything can break us up."

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked. "I mean I do love you…" Lucas responded taking a hold of Riley's hands. "But I'm worried that somebody is going to sweep you off of the streets and just take you away from me…"

"Lucas that could never possibly happen…" Riley said kissing his cheek. "Because you're the only guy for me…"

"And you're my only girl…" Lucas smiled.

"So you feeling better about this whole change?" Riley questioned.

"I still wish it didn't have to happen…" Lucas sighed.

"Hey we can still fly out or take the train to see each other over the weekends plus we are going to be spending every single spring break, holiday, long weekend, and occasional weekend getaway together…" Riley laughed.

"That is very true…" Lucas laughed. "How is it that you know exactly what to say to make me feel better?"

"Because like I said the two of us are soul mates…It's our job to cheer the other one up if their feeling down…" Riley smiled. "Now…" Riley said standing up. "You ready to graduate?"

"Yeah…" Lucas smiled as he took a hold of Riley's hand. "I love you…" Lucas whispered into her ear as he placed several kisses on her cheek as the both of them walked down towards the gymnasium hand in hand ready to get moving on with the rest of their lives.

* * *

"Teachers…Students…Families…Friends…This is the day that all of us sitting on this stage have been waiting and working hard for…" Riley began as she took the podium. "This is the day where we finish our general education and move on towards the higher education to begin building who we are in the future. These walls have witnessed almost every single thing this graduating class has gone through these past four years…The hallways witnessed several of us slamming our lockers in frustration, several couples being united…" Riley had to blush when she got to that part of her speech. "And even the bathroom walls witnessed some of the worst break up crying…" The entire room laughed at the joke. "But most importantly these teachers in front of us today, they saw the potential in every single person sitting on this stage. They never discouraged us from reaching our full potential, instead they pushed us forward with full force and onwards into the dream careers that we will be fulfilling after today." Riley continued. "The entire graduating class is filled with many familiar faces. Most of you I've known since primary school. The friendships and bonds that we built over the span of twelve years or maybe less for some, it's something that all of us are going to remember for the rest of our lives. Because without each others support, none of us would have gotten through high school without losing our minds." Most of the graduating class laughed. "So on forth to our futures everyone…" Riley said sadly as she folded up her pieces of paper. "To be the people who we were always meant to be."

The entire auditorium applauded as Riley finished her speech. Lucas had an overwhelming sense of pride written all over his face. He was extremely proud of the young woman who Riley was turning out to be. For him, High school was where him and Riley had their best and their worst memories. He cringed when he remembered the entire year where they had broken up. With one more look at the love of his life, he knew that he was meant to keep her in his life forever.

"Ladies and gentleman I give you the graduating class of 2020…." Principal Morrison announced as the graduating class cheered and a sea of hats flew into the air.

Riley immediately turned around and wrapped her arms around Lucas who was already behind her and brought him in for a meaningful kiss. The both of them just forgot about the world around them, just like they were the only two people in the room. The pair were taken out of their personal bubble when several bright flashes went off in front of their faces.

"Geez thanks for ruining the moment mom…." Riley laughed.

"Trust me sweetie you two are definitely want to keep as many pictures of you two together for memories to look back on." Topanga laughed. "Congratulations you two. I am so proud of the both of you for making it this far."

"Thanks Mrs. Matthews it means a lot to us…" Lucas smiled.

"Yo what are we all standing around here for? Don't we have a party to get to?" Maya wondered.

"That's not for another couple of hours…" Farkle pointed out.

"Well then…I'm leaving you losers to pull one more prank on Morrison…. See you guys later."

"Oh I'm in…" Zay ran after Maya.

"You coming home with us Riles?" Cory asked.

"Not just yet dad… I want to stick around for a couple more minutes." Riley replied.

"We'll see you on the roof then…" Topanga smiled as her and Cory left.

"Want to go and visit the classroom one more time with me?" Riley turned to Lucas.

"Of course…" Lucas nodded.

* * *

As the both of them opened the door to Mr. Matthew's classroom they were saddened to know that it was filled with empty chairs and tables. Pretty soon Mr. Matthews was going to teach the new incoming freshman. Riley and Lucas both looked towards two empty desks towards the front of the classroom. Those had been their tables since they were freshman.

"It's going to sound so awkward saying this but I'm going to miss your dad teaching us…" Lucas said as he sat in his normal chair.

"It actually makes it a little bit better that my dad is going to be teaching Auggie and Tiffany when they get to high school. Now they have to deal with him and not us…" Riley laughed.

"Hey it's their turn to meet the world. We already have…" Lucas smiled.

"Wait…Girl meets world…I get it now!" Riley laughed.

"There's still a whole bunch of the world you haven't met, and neither have I…" Lucas commented. "Starting today our entire world could possibly change."

"My dad's taught us more than enough for us to get ready for it." Riley smiled as she looked towards the front of the classroom. "But I must admit the world is still a pretty scary place."

"But hey we were never scared of challenges and we always found our ways to get through anything." Lucas smiled.

"That's because whatever life decided to throw our way we always had our friends and each other to get through it." Riley admitted. "You think we're all going to change now that most of our friends are going to be in separate sides of the country for college?"

"I sure hope not…" Lucas admitted.

"It really is going to be so different not being able to see you guys every single day."

"Thank God for FaceTime." Lucas smiled.

"Are we going to be OK?" Riley wondered as she leaned her head on Lucas' shoulders.

"Like you told me earlier today, we are going to be just fine." Lucas smiled as he kissed Riley softly. "This is just another phase of our relationship and if we can get through four years of living on separate sides of the country, then we can get through anything and everything."

* * *

The party was officially full swing on the rooftop filled with nearly all of the graduating class. Everyone was having a great time and just enjoying each others company. Riley and Lucas were sitting on the bench together chatting with most of the guests. Some of their friends especially Yogi and Darby were going to be heading off to their colleges very soon.

"Ladies and gentleman can I have your attention please…" Mr. Turner said as he got everyone's attention on the roof. "As you know our lovely principal over at John Quincy Adams Middle School Mrs. Jones is retiring and the School Board has immediately been looking for a suitable replacement." Mr Turner explained. " And I thought that this would be the perfect time and occasion to make the official announcement… I would like to officially announce that Mr. Cory Matthews will officially take on the role of Principal of John Quincy Adams Middle School for the upcoming school year."

The entire crowd cheered in excitement as Cory was standing in the middle of the rooftop with a look of shock written all over his face.

"Me? Why me?" Cory asked shocked.

"Because you've managed to influence so many of your students who are standing on the roof today and built them into the young adults who they are today even through high school. And it's those values of influencing today's young adults and instilling them with as much advice and life lessons as possible while also overseeing their education is something that us at the school board look for in a school principal." Mr. Turner explained.

"Congratulations dad you're going to be an amazing principal…" Riley smiled giving her dad a hug.

"Thanks Riles…" Cory smiled.

"Oh lord that means dad's going to be my principal in September…" Auggie said with a hint of realization.

"Well, it's time for you to meet the world now isn't it?" Cory laughed.


	15. Their Epic Summer

**FOREVER**

 **WELCOME BACK TO FOREVER! I HAVE A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR YOU GUYS...I HAVE OFFICIALLY STARTED WRITING THE SEQUAL TO THIS STORY TITLED "LESLIE MEETS WORLD" WHERE OF COURSE, WE FOLLOW RILEY AND LUCAS' SON THROUGH LIFE. THAT SHOULD BE COMING OUT IN SPETEMBER OR OCTOBER THIS YEAR. SO JUST A LITTLE SOMETHING YOU ALL CAN LOOK FORWARD TO :D ANYWAYS ONWARDS WITH WHAT I THINK IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER TO THIS SERIES :) ENJOY!**

* * *

 ** _Their Epic Summer Holiday_**

It was the first day of summer and Riley was asleep under her comfy pillows finally enjoying some much needed rest. However, she was rudely awakened when something solid hit her window. Riley shot out of bed and wondered who in their right mind would throw something at her bedroom window. As she opened it up, she saw a rectangular shaped box which was tied to a card. Upon further inspection, she knew exactly who threw it. She dialed a very familiar number and had to laugh when the voice that she had grown to fall in love with answered in a matter of seconds.

"Care to explain yourself mad dog?" Riley laughed.

"What I'm not allowed to surprise the love of my life on the most special of days?" Lucas teased.

"Well you certainly surprised me. You even went an extra level and managed to scare the shit out of me too." Riley laughed opening her bay window. "Now are you going to come up here or what?"

"Wait won't your parents get pissed that I'm up in your bedroom?" Lucas yelled from bellow the fire escape.

"Don't you remember? My parents are up in Philly and my brother is still asleep probably." Riley laughed.

Lucas smiled as he excitedly made his way up the fire escape. The both of them hadn't been able to spend some quality time together. But since it was officially their first day of summer, they were finally able to fully spend time together. As Lucas climbed through Riley's window, Riley happily wrapped her arms around Lucas' neck and pulled him in for a meaningful kiss.

"That's a great way to wake up." Lucas teased.

"Can you believe it? We've been together for four years." Riley smiled pulling him in for another kiss.

"It doesn't feel that long does it?" Lucas said as he reached out the window and pulled a basket of goodies into Riley's bedroom. "Breakfast in bed." Lucas smiled. "Then how's about we have a great day out and enjoy the city for the day and end it off at Sardi's?" Lucas suggested.

"I would actually love that." Riley smiled.

The rest of the day was spent with the both of them just being themselves. It was days like today that both Riley and Lucas realized how much they cared about each other and how much the love that they had for one another was genuine. Most of their day was spent in Central Park walking around enjoying the beautiful summer weather. Riley had two surprises up her sleeve for the day that she knew that Lucas going to absolutely love.

"OK I have two surprises for you today…" Riley smiled.

"Two?" Lucas said shocked. "Riles it was my turn to surprise you…" Lucas teased.

"Oh come on you actually think that I wouldn't come up with at least a couple tricks up my sleeve." Riley teased.

"Just as long as I get to give you my present right now." Lucas smiled as he brought Riley in for a kiss.

"Deal…" Riley teased.

"Here you go Princess." Lucas smiled. "I got you a little something that you can always remember us by."

Riley smiled as she opened the small package. She had to gasp once she saw what was inside. It was a silver picture frame with their anniversary engraved on the top and the bottom. Inside the frame was a recent picture from when their prom. Lucas and Missy had won prom king and queen however three seconds after Missy was crowned Lucas ripped the crown off of her blonde hair and announced to the entire senior class that his only Prom Queen in his eyes was Riley.

"Lucas this is amazing." Riley smiled.

"It's my favorite picture of ours. Not because the both of us are dancing alone, but the fact that I proved to the entire senior class that I loved you more than anything."

"You know you could have had your dance with Missy I wouldn't have minded." Riley pointed out.

"Like I said that night you are the only person I wanted to dance with." Lucas said taking Riley's hands. "I would much rather spend my life behind bars than be forced to dance with Missy Bradford. Especially considering how rude she had treated you."

"Well it was quite an enjoyable night for me too. I got to see Missy storm off all mad and angry." Riley continued laughing.

"Hey she had it coming." Lucas smiled.

"Oh Jesus we're going to be running late for my first surprise." Riley said shocked.

"Wait Riles where exactly is this first surprise of yours?" Lucas laughed.

"Just a block away from here." Riley replied. "But close your eyes."

"You can't be serious." Lucas said shocked.

"Hey like I said it's my turn to surprise you." Riley replied as she began guiding Lucas through the crowded park.

Riley and Lucas began running through the crowded New York City streets as Riley expertly guided Lucas through various crowds gathered on Times Square and strolling through Broadway lining up for tickets or just taking pictures. As she got close to NYU she had to smile knowing that they were near their destination.

"OK you can open your eyes now." Riley said after a couple of minutes.

Lucas opened his eyes and stood directly in front of Jaime Oliver's newest restaurant into the city. Jaime's had been open all over North America and obviously across the UK. However the New York City location had recently been open and reservations were very difficult to schedule. Lucas turned towards Riley in complete shock.

"Are you serious?" Lucas said in still not getting over the fact that they were directly outside of the popular restaurant.

"Most definitely." Riley replied.

"What? How…." Lucas said trying to formulate words. "Reservations must be through the roof for this place how did you manage to secure a spot?"

"My parents were here for their anniversary two months ago and my dad owed me a favor in return for helping him mark all of those English essays he needed to do so I kindly asked him to reserve a spot for today." Riley smiled.

Lucas smiled at Riley and simply brought her in for a kiss. Lucas had always looked up to Jamie Oliver and was very excited to be able to be eating some of his food in just a couple of minutes.

"Reservation for Matthews please?" Riley smiled up at the hostess.

"Right, give us a couple of minutes and we'll set the room up for you." He said as he walked off to get their private dining room ready.

"A personal dining room?" Lucas said surprised.

"Damn my dad really came through for us…" Riley laughed.

A couple minutes later, the two of them were sat on the top floor of the restaurant once again enjoying being with each other. They could talk about almost everything which is one of the special things about their relationship.

"Now what's that second surprise you had for me?" Lucas teased. The two of them were sharing a cheesecake after a very delicious meal.

"Well that's going to happen after dinner…" Riley responded. "But it's the first place where we had our first official date…"

"You got us tickets to Wicked?" Lucas asked shocked.

"Mhm…" Riley smiled widely. "Front row too…"

"You are just incredible Matthews…" Lucas smiled as he brought Riley in for a kiss. "Honestly this is the best anniversary ever…Thank you…" Lucas smiled.

"I should be thanking you for putting up with me for so long." Riley teased.

"Hey it's easy…" Lucas smiled.

* * *

It was three days into their epic summer, and the gang minus a certain smart one were all gathered in Topanga's trying desperately to finish decorating the bakery on time. Farkle was the second last person in their group to turn eighteen. Of course the last being Riley. They had all told Farkle they had other plans for the day so they wouldn't be able to see him. They felt horrible for lying, but it was all going to be worth it.

"Lucas are you sure Farklestein has no idea this is going down?" Maya asked.

"Of course not I made sure that he spent the day with his parents at Staten Island. His parents said something about a family picnic or something." Lucas pointed out.

"But you did make sure that he was going to come back in time right? Or else this entire thing is going to be a flop." Maya laughed.

"I told his parents to bring him around eight." Lucas replied. "Gee after what six years of knowing me, I'm surprised you still think I don't make sure that everything will work out OK whenever it comes down to surprise parties." Lucas laughed.

"Why are you so worked up about this being perfect anyways?" Riley wondered as she walked back into the bakery from picking up the cake.

"Because Farkle's one of our closest friends and I want to make sure that everything works out OK." Maya laughed.

"Mhm…Something tells me there's a lot more going on…" Lucas teased.

"Don't push it heehaw or I'm going to take my arm and thump you on the head…" Maya threatened.

"OK no need to get violent…" Riley said in one huge jumble. "Maya wait…I think I'm with Lucas on this…Do you have feelings for Farkle?"

"UGH why do you have to side with hop along here?" Maya sighed. "Can't you believe me for once?"

"Because…" Riley began as she motioned for Maya to join her on the bench next to the window. "I see how you are with Farkle…I've never seen you be so happy then when you are with Farkle." Riley stated. "And I know we sort of fought over who would be his date in the seventh grade to the Buggy awards…"

"Say what now?" Lucas said shocked. "Where was I when all of this Buggy Awards drama was going down?"

"You were back home in Texas sweetie…." Riley pointed out. "Moving on…To be honest, I think you still haven't gotten over that mini crush." Riley suggested. "So tell me Maya am I right?"

"If I admit your right will you two please stop pestering me?" Maya sighed.

"So we are right about this aren't we?" Lucas questioned.

"UGH why do I need to start having feelings for Farkle! I mean we're going to be going off to college in three months and you both know I don't trust long distance relationships…" Maya sighed. "Please don't tell Farkle about this…"

"Trust us that's not our job…That's your job…" Lucas replied. "Riles do you think you could give me a hand in bringing the ice creams over from my place?"

"Sure sweetie…" Riley replied.

"So you gonna be OK Hart?" Lucas questioned.

"I have a lot to think about don't I?" Maya said aloud.

"There's no rush…" Riley encouraged. "Call us if you need anything."

"You two will only be gone for ten minutes I'm sure I can manage…" Maya laughed. "Thank you two…For listening." Maya smiled.

"Of course peaches…" Riley said as she took a hold of Lucas' hand as the both of them headed off.

It was fifteen minutes later and finally the time was getting closer for Farkle to arrive. The bakery had been decorated to perfection, and as Lucas and Riley both walked back into the bakery they were surprised and very much impressed with Maya's handiwork when it came down to finishing off decorating the place.

"Their around the corner…" Katy said running into the bakery.

"Mom they didn't see you did they?" Maya laughed.

"Nope went around the back…" Katy laughed.

Farkle opened the door to the bakery with his parents and was in complete and total shock when his eyes came across all of his friends and the bakery decorated to perfection.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY FARKLE!" They all yelled excitedly.

"But…You all said…Wait…This is what you were all doing the entire day?" Farkle said in complete shock.

"Happy birthday Farkle…" Riley said pulling their smart friend in for a hug.

"You guys, I told you I didn't want to make a huge deal out of my eighteenth birthday…" Farkle said fighting back.

"Hey you only turn eighteen once in your life, so why not do it in a big way?" Maya laughed.

"Thank you guys so much…." Farkle smiled. "This is unbelieveable that you all went through this much trouble just to make sure I had the best birthday."

"Well you deserve it sweetie." Jennifer smiled. "For working so hard and being the genuinely caring and brilliant person you are."

"Mom, dad you knew about this?" Farkle laughed.

"Who do you think told your friends to do this?" Minkus laughed.

"All right guys it's time for you to make your eighteenth birthday wish!" Topanga said walking in with the cake.

"Happy Birthday Dear Farkle, Happy Birthday to you!" The entire gang sand enthusiastically inside Topanga's bakery.

"How on earth did you guys get a cake in the shape of a rocket ship?" Farkle laughed as he blew his candles out.

"I actually made it myself." Riley laughed.

"Sick!" Farkle said excitedly.

"Who's ready for cake?" Jennifer said as she brought in the cake sliced perfectly.

"Finally!" Maya said lunging towards the delicious red velvet cake.

"So what do you think of our summer so far babe?" Riley smiled wrapping her arms around Lucas' neck.

"Best summer ever…" Lucas laughed bringing Riley in for a hug.

"I'm so happy you decided to stay back in the city for the summer." Riley said as she accepted both slices of cake from Jennifer.

"Hey it's our final summer together as a group and most importantly our last summer together as a couple so I thought I would make the best out of it." Lucas smiled. "And I gotta say, it's a lot more easier than doing long distance."

"It is…" Riley smiled as she took their shared milkshake in hand. "I'm going to miss you so much when we leave for college." Riley sighed placing her forehead against Lucas'

"Let's try not to think about it OK babe? We've got a whole three months ahead of us where we can just be us."

"Perfect…" Riley laughed as she pulled Lucas in for one more kiss.

"Can you guys keep your hands off each other for more than thirty minutes?" Maya teased as she joined the couple on the couch.

"Actually no…We once went two hours without seeing each other and I almost died…" Riley pointed out.

"Please tell me your joking…" Maya laughed.

"I wish I was…" Riley laughed.

"You know I'm going to hate admitting this further down the road, I am so happy that you ended up finding your happily ever after with the man of your dreams." Maya laughed.

"You'll be able to find your own happy ending Maya…" Riley said optimistically.

"You actually think me and Farkle could be a thing?" Maya wondered.

"You just need the courage to ask him out Maya…" Riley replied as she made her way behind the counter to get another soda.

* * *

The Fourth of July was the first official big holiday for the summer season, and since time was officially counting down until the gang was going off their separate ways, they made sure to spend the most out of their summer. Which brings us to where they are now. The gang was back in Texas for Independence Day with Lucas' family. Lucas had begged his dad to be able to invite the rest of his friends over for the week since he knew that he didn't want them to be alone back in New York City. They were currently back in Chubbies and Farkle once again was attacking his ribs like a mad animal.

"Well some things never change do they?" Riley laughed.

"Nope. But that's a good thing…" Maya stated as she began taking several snapchats of Farkle in his "carnivore mode" as Maya fondly called it. "Wait…Isn't Zay supposed to be joining us here?"

"Nah he's off trying to find Vanessa." Lucas laughed as he placed a sweet kiss on Riley's cheeks. "Here's the pitcher of lemonade we ordered."

"Thanks sweetie…" Riley smiled as she snuggled into Lucas' side.

"I would say you two are nauseating, but considering the fact that the both of you are going to be in separate states literally two months from today, I'm gonna let it slide." Maya cringed.

"Must you bring that up…" Lucas groaned.

"Sorry cowboy…" Maya laughed. "So you two think you're going to make it through this?"

"Are you kidding? Their Riley and Lucas, they could make it through anything." Farkle pointed out. "And besides, I'm going to be with Riley keeping her company so at least she has a friendly face roaming the halls."

"I still can't believe all of us are going to be in different states." Riley pointed out. "The only time any of us are going to see each other normally would be over Christmas."

"Which is why we came up with the Summer Bucket list right?" Maya laughed. "Which by the way I think we are crushing it…"

"What makes you say that?" Farkle wondered.

"It's the fact that up until now, not one of us has brought up the fact that most of us are going to be in different parts of the country in two months. We've only focused on enjoying our summer and filling it with as much fun and joy as possible." Maya pointed out.

"Good point." Riley replied.

The band began playing a slow song. Riley and Lucas had to smile once they heard the opening chords. It was their song.

"Care to dance…" Lucas said extending his hand.

"My pleasure." Riley giggled as the both of them ran to the middle of the dance floor.

"Maya was right…This summer the thought of the both of us being in separate states hasn't even crossed my mind." Lucas smiled. "This summer's been an absolute blast."

"I can't believe it's nearly half over." Riley replied.

"Hey let's not think about that right now. What's really important is that we enjoy the rest of our summer and what's left of it." Lucas responded.

"I gotta say, this is definitely shaping up to be my favorite summer so far." Riley replied.

"Yeah?" Lucas asked. "Why's that?"

"Well first off, you aren't back in Texas and you're finally spending summer in the same city as me." Riley laughed. "But most importantly, I've enjoyed spending time with all of my friends together." Riley pointed out. "All of us managed to make so many memorable memories so far, and I know there's still a lot more."

"Like we said the first day of summer, this is our last one together as a group so we might as well go big or go home." Lucas laughed.

"The next time we're all probably going to be together, is over the Christmas holidays." Riley sighed.

"Wait I thought that you would be heading home for Thanksgiving break…" Lucas said confused.

"With my new school schedule that was sent to me last week I probably won't." Riley said sadly.

"But Riles you never miss out on your family's Thanksgiving festivities…" Lucas said shocked.

"It sucks ass I know…" Riley sighed.

Lucas lifted Riley's chin up so he could look her straight in the eyes. He always found Riley's eyes the most beautiful sight in the entire world. And whenever he looked into them, he was reminded why he fell in love with his Princess. Lucas brought Riley closer and placed a light kiss on her lips.

"What was that for?" Riley laughed.

"That was just a small reminder that no matter how far away you are, you will always have a place in my heart. If you can't make it home for Thanksgiving, maybe I'll fly out to New Haven to pay you and Fakle a visit." Lucas suggested. "And by the way I'm so happy you two managed to find an apartment and aren't bunking in the dorms."

"Technically our parents found it for us…" Riley replied. "Besides I don't think I would have survived in those dorms. Something about sharing your personal space with a complete stranger just doesn't sound appealing to me." Riley laughed.

Back at the table, Maya and Farkle were currently taking various shots of vodka. The both of them always had a blast whenever they ended up drinking together. They were currently laughing at all of the fools dancing horribly on the dance floor.

"Matthews seriously improved her dancing skills." Maya said laughing extremely hard.

"Hey after dancing with Lucas all these years, she was bound to get better eventually." Farkle laughed.

"You know I'm going to miss hanging out with you…I mean come on, whenever we end up getting wasted together it's always a good time."

"And I'm going to miss my beer pong tag team partner." Farkle teased.

"Hey, we came out on top three times in a row." Maya laughed.

"Maya there's something I want to ask you." Farkle began.

"Go ahead…" Maya said taking another sip of her drink.

"I've been thinking a lot lately, about my relationship with Smackle…We've been getting into arguments again, and with her being in Florida and me being in Connecticut the thought of being in a long distance relationship is sort of starting to scare me…" Farkle began.

"So what does this mean for you and Smackle?" Maya wondered.

"That's what I've been worried about." Farkle finished.

"Look you love Smackle don't you?" Maya asked.

"I think I do…" Farkle confessed.

"Wait you think you do?" Maya said shocked. "I thought you and here were destined to be together…"

"That's what I thought to, but lately we've been drifting further and further apart and I've been asking myself a lot lately if Smackle is really worth all of this…"

"Farkle only you could be able to answer that question for yourself." Maya continued. "If you feel that you need to break up with her, then isn't that what you should do?" Maya questioned.

"I'm just way too confused to even make that decision right now." Farkle laughed. "But thanks for the advice Maya."

"Hey I'm always there for you." Maya said as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Later on in the night, the gang was gathered once again near the campfire. They were once again staring up to the night sky but this time the fireworks were now littering the calm night. With the mix of various stars in the sky plus fireworks it was quite a sight for anybody to lay their eyes on. Maya continued to look at Farkle as he kept his hands twiddling, something the genius only did when he was hard at thought on something.

"Geez Hart what did you do to him?" Lucas laughed.

"I've never seen him this confused about anything before." Riley teased.

"He just has a load on his plate right now." Maya replied.

"Did he tell you what's bugging him?" Lucas wondered.

"It's a little personal problem he's dealing with. But this is Farkle, I'm sure he will be able to make the right decision eventually." Maya smiled. She hoped sooner rather than later.

"Maya…" Farkle said slurred.

"He's wasted isn't he?" Riley laughed.

"Don't worry guys I got this…" Maya reassured.

"What do you say we head off to get a better view of the fireworks?" Lucas asked Riley.

"Should we really leave these two alone?" Riley asked worriedly.

"I'm sure those two will be just fine." Lucas smiled as he dragged Riley away from the campfire.

Farkle looked up from the ground and saw Maya sitting on the other side of the campfire looking at him with worry written all over her face.

"Look if your thinking about what we talked about back at Chubbie's you don't need to make a decision yet." Maya pointed out.

"I know…But I sort of have a clearer vision of what I want now…" Farkle explained.

"Yeah?" Maya wondered.

"Yeah…" Farkle said as he sighed. "I think it would be best if me and Smackle broke up. The our relationship was doomed from the start."

"Farkle, your relationship was never doomed. Maybe it was just not the right timing." Maya suggested.

"Or maybe we were totally wrong for each other." Farkle replied. "Let's face it, who in their right mind would end up falling for me?"

Maya walked towards Farkle. She couldn't let Farkle think this way about himself. If anything, anybody would be extremely lucky to have a relationship with him. Maya sat directly beside Farkle.

"Look at me…" Maya demanded.

"Why?" Farkle asked still keeping his head down.

"Look at me…." Maya said grabbing his chin and bringing his face closer to hers.

There was a small pause of about ten seconds where Maya kept her hands on Farkle's cheek and the both of them were both involved in an intense staring game. Maya realized how brown Farkle's eyes were as the fire reflected off his face. Farkle looked at Maya nervously, but also admired her blonde hair and how beautiful she looked in that moment.

"You are one of the smartest, kindest, loyal people that I have ever known Farkle. Any girl would be extremely lucky to call you their girlfriend. And don't let anybody tell you otherwise."

"Why did you just grab my face?" Farkle said shocked.

"Because I wanted to prove a point!" Maya said finally letting go of his cheeks. "Please don't freak out Farkle…"

"I'm not going to freak out…" Farkle stated.

"Oh thank god…" Maya let out a massive sigh of relief.

"But I do want to know why you did it…" Farkle urged.

"Because…I told you I wanted to prove you wrong…You thought that no other girl was going to fall in love with you, and I needed to make you see that what you think is actually the furthest thing from the truth."

"You actually think that there is going to be someone out there for me?" Farkle wondered.

"You never know, you might just run into her someday." Maya laughed.

* * *

Three weeks after the campfire incident the gang was soaking in the early August summer breeze over at Jones Beach State Park. It was a great day for the gang to go surfing or swimming or just chilling out. The Matthew's had suggested that they all head down for the day for a barbecue, and some fun in the sun. Riley being Riley made sure that all of her friends would come along since there was only three more weeks of summer. Riley was currently sitting on the beach chairs with Lucas after the both of them had spent a good amount of time in the water.

"Riles?" Lucas whispered.

"Yeah?" Riley said as she turned towards her boyfriend.

"Are you happy with the way things are going in our relationship?" Lucas wondered.

"Of course I am love…What makes you ask that question?" Riley said confused.

"My dad's been telling me that long distance relationships always end up in breakups. And recently he's been saying that you would be breaking up with me over the summer. You know I never told you this, but one of my absolute biggest fears is the fear that you are going to leave me." Lucas confessed.

"Lucas…" Riley said getting up and giving Lucas a hug as she rested her head on his chest. "That is never going to happen OK. I love you too much to let that happen." Riley responded.

"How can you be so sure?" Lucas wondered.

"Because babe, we trust each other don't we?" Riley questioned. She smiled as she saw Lucas nod his head vigorously. "And you do believe that you are the only person for me." Riley responded.

"And you're the only one for me too." Lucas replied.

"So you have absolutely nothing to worry about then." Riley replied puling Lucas in for a kiss.

"OK maybe I needed that kiss to remind me…" Lucas laughed.

"Do you need another reminder?" Riley teased.

"Maybe…" Lucas smirked.

"You're such a cheeseball…" Riley laughed.

"But that's what you love about me…" Lucas teased pulling Riley into his arms.

Farkle and Maya were both sitting near the ice cream stand enjoying their delicious ice cream cones. The both of them were still talking after the campfire incident, however there was a sense of awkwardness attached to their conversations whenever they hung out alone.

"OK I'm just going to come right out and say it, why is everything so awkward between us?" Farkle asked confused.

"Awkward in what way?" Maya asked.

"Well for starters, we still haven't fully talked about what went down at the campfire a couple week ago…"

"Farkle I told you I was just trying to prove a point." Maya responded.

"Maya there's a lot more to it, I know you…" Farkle said confidently.

Maya sighed. Farkle was onto her and she had no idea how long she could keep up the façade. Maya knew that this would be the perfect moment to tell Farkle exactly how she felt, but the nagging thought of being turned down was still in the back of her mind. Maya shook her head. Summer was running out, and she wanted to be able to tell her obnoxious smart and observant friend exactly how she was feeling.

"OK you're right things have been awkward between us recently." Maya began. "And there's a good reason for that."

"Which is…." Farkle urged.

"It's because I've been keeping a secret. Mostly from you…" Maya replied.

"Maya we all agreed that there should be no more secrets between us." Farkle said shocked.

"This secret is a big one OK so don't you dare go blaming me for keeping it." Maya stated.

"Maya how big could it possibly be?" Farkle asked.

"Look I'm just going to come out and say it…I…I like you OK…" Maya sighed.

"I like you too…"

"NO! I mean I like you more than a friendship level…" Maya replied in one massive jumble.

"Maya…" Farkle began.

"Look I know what you're going to say…That we're not a good fit for each other because you're smart and I'm not and our personalities could not have been any more different…" Maya stopped when Farkle grabbed her face. "And now you're grabbing my face."

"You were rambling…" Farkle replied. "Maya…How long have you felt like this?"

"For a while…" Maya responded.

"Maya…we're going off to college soon…And with me being in Connecticut and you being in California we both know long distance relationships aren't are thing." Farkle sighed.

"So you don't want to at least give it a shot?" Maya asked.

"Maya of course I do, but what happens when we both get busy?" Farkle questioned.

"Then what about this? We have exactly four more weeks before we all head off on our separate ways. How about we have a summer romance and see where things go from there." Maya suggested.

"Do you really think we're worth it?" Farkle questioned.

"Of course I do…" Maya responded.

"Then that's what we'll do…We'll take it day by day, and if by the end of the summer we still have the same feelings for each other, then a long distance relationship is exactly what we'll do." Farkle smiled.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	16. Their Goodbyes

_**FOREVER**_

 _ **WELCOME BACK EVERYONE! SO SORRY FOR THE LONG OVERDUE UPDATE BUT GOOD NEWS IS, I HAVE BEGAN DEVELOPING THE CONTINUATION TO THIS STORY WHICH WILL BE CALLED "LESLIE MEETS WORLD". I THINK IT'S GOING TO HAVE THE SAME VIBE AS BOY MEETS WORLD AND GIRL MEETS WORLD, HOWEVER I HAVE COME UP WITH SOMETHING VERY NEW AND VERY DIFFERENT ESPECIALLY FOR THIS SERIES THAT I THINK WILL SET IT APART FROM THE OTHER TWO. NOW I NEED TO GIVE SHOUTOUT TO BORIS YELTSIN FOR NOT ONLY GIVING ME POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON ALL OF MY UPDATES AND MY STORIES, BUT FOR HELPING ME CREATE PARTS OF LESLIE MEETS WORLD THAT YOU WILL SEE COMING SEPTEMBER 8TH.**_

 _ **NOW I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYBODY OUT, SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY STORY IDEAS, IDEAS FOR CHARACTERS, OR IDEAS FOR LESLIE MEETS WORLD OR ANY OF MY STORIES IN GENERAL ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LEAVE A PRIVATE MESSAGE AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO RESPOND. BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE MY READERS I WANT TO DO MY BEST TO MAKE YOU GUYS HAPPY. NOW ENOUGH OF ME RAMBLING ON AND ONTO THE CHAPTER...**_

* * *

 _ **Their Goodbyes**_

* * *

After an epic August filled with as many adventures the gang could fit in, the final day of summer was finally upon them. The core four was waiting at JFK International Airport to welcome Zay back into the city. They had missed him during his summer away in Texas. The gang had planned to grab a final lunch together before Maya had to fly out to California later that night.

"You ready to take California by storm?" Farkle questioned.

"More than ready…" Maya replied.

"You're going to do great things peaches…" Riley smiled. "I'll be there at your first gala opening."

"Riles most gala openings start at ten…" Maya giggled.

"It starts at ten!" Riley said shocked.

"It's good to know that some things never change." Maya laughed.

"This summer went by so quickly…" Lucas pointed out. "I can't believe by this time tomorrow the only person who's going to be left behind in the city is Zay." Lucas frowned. "You guys think that we can still manage to be in touch even if we are so many miles apart."

"Of course we will…" Riley responded. "We have to be." Riley said. "Our friendship is stronger than others out there."

"Riley's right…" Lucas laughed. "As usual."

Farkle took a hold of Maya's hand a little tighter. These past four weeks they had spent as much time together as possible. There was still something that was bugging him in the back of his mind. Was the fact that if their relationship would be able to survive the dreaded distance. Or even if they would continue it after tomorrow. Maya noticed that Farkle was a little tense, and she wondered why.

"Are you doing OK Farkle?" Maya wondered.

"Yeah couldn't be better." Farkle replied.

"OK you can't lie to me…We're in a relationship remember?" Maya laughed.

"I've just been doing some thinking." Farkle replied. .

"About what?" Maya wondered.

"Can we talk about this somewhere private?" Farkle whispered.

"Sure…Hey lovebirds me and Farkle are going to grab a coffee at Starbucks text us when Zay gets here?"

Lucas just waved them off as he was too preoccupied in fitting in as many kisses before Riley went off tomorrow. Farkle and Maya had to laugh at the couple. Although they finally understood what it meant to be in a relationship with someone you loved. Over the past couple of weeks that was exactly how the two of them felt. As the couple sat down at the nearest table Farkle once again began to get nervous.

"So now are you going to tell me why you look like you were a million miles away a couple of minutes ago?" Maya questioned.

"It's actually about the both of us…" Farkle sighed.

"What about us?" Maya wondered.

"The fact that we're going to be in separate states tomorrow and also the fact that we might not get to see each other until Thanksgiving break or even Christmas." Farkle began. "I've just been thinking if being in a long distance relationship is an option for the both of us."

"Of course it's an option for the both of us…" Maya said grabbing a hold of Farkle's hand . "Farkle you're the first serious boyfriend that I've ever had and what we had over these past couple of weeks…It showed me that maybe there's always a chance at love for everyone."

"But doesn't it worry you that we're going to be so far apart?" Farkle wondered. "Plus the fact that we're going to be in totally different time zones."

"It's only a three hour difference genius…" Maya laughed. "If it's worth it, we'll always work it out."

"You're willing to fight for us?" Farkle questioned.

"I'm not just doing this for us…I've always been the person who fights for what she believes in. And I believe in our love and in our relationship, so why shouldn't I fight it?" Maya questioned.

"Just to let you know, I'd be willing to fight for our love too." Farkle laughed.

"I was hoping you would say that." Maya laughed. "So what do you say Farkle? Me and you are endgame. Deal?"

"You've got yourself a deal Hart…" Farkle smiled. "And if in the end, we don't end up together. Please know that your always going to be special to me…"

"And your going to be special to me too…" Maya replied. "That's the beauty of our relationship I guess. The both of us started off as friends, and it just took off from there."

"You know what they say the best relationships always blossom from friendship." Farkle laughed. "We even have Riley and Lucas to prove it."

"If those two can be together forever, so can we can't we?" Maya laughed.

"Who says we can't?" Farkle laughed.

* * *

Riley and Lucas were both wrapped in each others arms as they kept their eyes on the flight board to be sure that Zay wasn't going to show up anytime soon. Lucas hugged Riley tightly from behind. He didn't want to let her go tomorrow, but he knew that it was all going to be for the best. They were Riley and Lucas. They've been through a lot over the past five years and he knew in his heart that they would always be together forever.

"OK not that I'm complaining or anything but why have you been so clingy recently?" Riley laughed.

"Because I'm going to miss having this beautiful face in my life every single day…" Lucas said as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ears. "I've had the best time of my life this summer and I just don't want things to change so quickly you get me?"

"Yeah I get you…" Riley said as she quickly kissed Lucas on the lips. "All of our lives are going to be changing these next several months. I'm not fond of it either."

"I still remember back in middle school when you were scared of everyone changing in high school." Lucas laughed.

"That was a little change compared to what's about to happen now." Riley giggled. "But hey, change could be good."

"Just as long as absolutely nothing is going to change between you and me I'm OK with that." Lucas confessed.

"Your worried about things changing between the both of us?" Riley as she began rubbing the side of Lucas' right cheek. She always did this whenever Lucas was stressed out or worried.

"Yeah I mean we're all going to be so busy with school and work and internships what if we don't have time for each other?" Lucas said as he began to feel tears forming in his eyes.

Riley could see all of the pain and sadness of being in different states flashing right through Lucas' eyes in that moment. She felt the exact same way, however she had to be strong for the both of them. If the both of them ended up being weak, they would for sure not be going through with going to their dream schools. And that was something that they promised each other. The both of them would go to their dream schools and work their butts off, and they would reunite in graduate school over at Yale.

"Lucas I know we're going to be super busy…But one thing that I need you to remember, is that we were never that ordinary couple who would just give up when the going gets tough." Riley said grabbing a hold of his hands. "We've lasted four years together going through so many ups and downs…College is just going to be another one of these obstacles that we will get through together."

"How is it possible that you manage to be so positive about everything in life?" Lucas laughed.

"Because I just have this positive outlook on everything in life." Riley laughed. "More people should in my opinion."

"If there were more people like you in the world Riley Matthews, the world would most definitely be a better place."

The both of them were taken off guard when they saw Zay entering through the sliding doors with a bunch of other new people who have just gotten off flights. Lucas ran up to his best friend and engulfed him in a tight hug.

"Geez Luke you're acting like you haven't seen me in ages…" Zay laughed.

"That's because we haven't…" Riley laughed while pulling Zay in for a hug. "We all missed having you here Zay."

"Yeah well I'm back for good…Now all of y'all are going to be leaving me tomorrow." Zay laughed.

"So we're going to make this last night special for all of us…" Lucas sighed. "It's probably the last time we're going to be together as a group for a very long time."

"I'm going to miss you dorks…" Zay teased.

"Oh come on you love us…" Riley laughed.

The three best friends headed off to find the other two. They were sure that Maya and Farkle were probably off trying to figure their whole relationship out before the both of them got separated by distance tomorrow. As Riley filled Zay in on every single detail about their summer romance, something was telling Zay that both Maya and Farkle had found their other half. They sounded like the perfect whirlwind summer romance and Zay knew that if they weren't able to work out the first time, they would somehow manage to find a way to make it work out a second time.

"From what you're telling me, sounds like their the ultimate OTP." Zay laughed.

"They are." Riley laughed. "I still remember when she would poke fun at the both of us for being all gross and doing all those couple thingies in front of her. Now looks like karma has a weird way of working." Riley laughed.

"Hey the world works in very mysterious ways most of the time." Zay laughed.

The three of them finally found the couple sitting at one of the tables still chatting away, completely forgetting about the whole reason why they came to the airport in the first place. Lucas shook his head as Riley and Zay laughed.

"I hate to break them up…" Lucas laughed.

"Then let's leave them to it…" Riley shot both Farkle and Maya texts telling them that they were off and the address to where they would be meeting later on.

* * *

It was later on in the evening and the gang all filed into their regular booth at the Cheesecake Factory. It was the last time they would be having their night before school Cheesecake traditions. They started doing it the summer before their sophomore year, and it was hard to believe the time had officially come for their last one before they all headed off separate ways.

"Are you guys all packed and ready to head off?" Zay questioned.

"I got lucky out of our gang here. I don't fly out of the city until 9pm tomorrow night." Maya laughed. "Meanwhile I feel bad for you Huckleberry you gotta get up before the crack of dawn just to make it on time to your college orientation."

"Don't remind me…" Riley replied clinging on to Lucas tightly. "I don't want you to leave so early tomorrow…"

"I don't want to leave earlier tomorrow either. I can't believe I won't be able to walk you off to your gate…" Lucas said sadly.

"I'll take of her Lucas you don't need to worry…" Farkle offered.

"The fact that you and Riley are going to be sharing an apartment together is literally the only thing that's positive out of this whole college move." Lucas sighed.

"It's going to be hard being away from all of you weirdos…" Maya admitted.

"Is anybody scared?" Riley asked.

"I think it's sort of a given that all of us are scared about what's going to happen next. This is the longest time any of us have been away from each other. We would always be a block away from each other so we could manage to walk over to each others houses and give a call to everyone and we would all manage to meet Topanga's or at the bay window in a short couple of minutes…" Lucas began. "It's going to be so different to not be able to call anyone of you guys and you would come immediately. It's not going to be that way for a while…"

"I'm going to tell all of us the same thing that I told Lucas earlier on today. College is just going to be another obstacle that life is throwing at us. Our friendship was able to get through anything and everything these past four years…And college isn't going to change that. It's just the next place and the next challenge in life." Riley smiled.

"Riles is right…" Lucas smiled. "Christmas is just a short four months away. We'll all be together before we know it." Lucas laughed. "And unfortunately the cowboy taunting will be back too."

"Hey I've still got a bag full of names that I still haven't used so you better not even think of getting on my bad side." Maya threatened.

"OK maybe I won't miss everything about you guys…" Farkle teased.

"Not you too…" Maya snarled.

"To friendship…" Zay laughed as he raised his glass to his friends. "To the best four people that I know…Thank you for coming into my life just when I needed." Zay smiled.

"There really is no other friendship like ours is there?" Riley laughed.

"Nope… Ours is way too special…" Maya laughed.

* * *

The rest of the night was filled with as much laughter and happiness as possible. As Riley opened the door to her apartment, she was surprised to see it dark. It must have meant that her parents and Auggie had both gone to bed early. Riley smiled as she and Lucas made their way towards Riley's bedroom. It was their final night together, and Riley had something planned for them for quite sometime now. As the both of them both made their way towards the bay window, Lucas took Riley's hands and held them with his.

"I want to remember every single thing about you…" Lucas said as he began to feel up and down Riley's face. "We're both going to be away for so long that I'm afraid I'm not going to remember what you look like…" Lucas pulled Riley into a strong hug. "Or what it's like to hold you in my arms…"

"I'll be right here…In your heart…" Riley stated as she placed her hand on Lucas' chest. "So if there's ever a time that you begin missing me, you just need to remember that I'm just a phone away…"

"Riles…I want us to remember tonight for the rest of our lives…" Lucas said as he grabbed a hold of her hands. "I love you and you alone…I want the both of us to be each other's firsts…"

"Lucas…Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Riley wondered.

"We don't have to go through with it, if you don't feel comfortable." Lucas reassured her.

"Lucas…This is a big step for the both of us…And I feel like the both of us are mature and old enough to take our relationship to the next level…I've felt like we've been ready for this next step for a while."

"Really why didn't you tell me?" Lucas asked shocked.

"Because I was afraid that you wouldn't want to take the next step because you were too afraid to." Riley admitted.

"Of course I'm afraid of taking the next step Riles…This is going to be a new experience for the both of us." Lucas replied. "But I promise…This is going to be something that we will remember for the rest of our lives moving forward." Lucas smiled.

Riley nodded as the both of them leaned in. The moonlight was shining through the bay window as the both of them united their lips. There was a lot more meaning behind the kiss as it was filled with as much love and passion that they both had for one another. Lucas expertly guided his hands around Riley's waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Lucas easily carried Riley as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The both of them not breaking away from the kiss. As Lucas' legs came in contact with Riley's bed, Riley easily pushed him down towards the bed. Riley broke the kiss and began to make her way down Lucas' neck littering it with kisses. Lucas wrapped his arms around Riley's back as he ran it up and down slowly underneath her shirt. Riley began undoing the buttons off of Lucas' plaid shirt and kissed her way down her boyfriend's toned chest.

"Oh my god Riles…" Lucas moaned as her lips found her way down to his abs. "I love you…" Lucas moaned.

Riley took her lips away from Lucas' body for a quick second to push the blue plaid shirt off from his shoulders and once again made her way down Lucas body. Riley kissed her way down towards his waistline. Riley looked Lucas in the eyes and she saw all the love that he had for her radiating back at her. Riley easily undid his belt as she pulled down Lucas' pants and underwear.

"I love you too…I promise this is going to be a night that the both of us are going to remember for the rest of our lives…" Riley whispered as she united their lips once again.

Lucas wrapped his arms around Riley's waist as he easily flipped them over. Riley gasped as she felt Lucas' hard member rub against her pant leg. Lucas attached his lips to Riley's neck and paid close attention to her collar bone as his hands slipped under her t-shirt. He broke his lips away for a quick moment to take off Riley's shirt. Lucas could only look on mesmerized at how beautiful Riley's body looked under the glowing moonlight. He was brought back into reality when Riley united their lips again. Lucas easily slid his hands behind her back and undid her bra. Lucas immediately broke their kiss and made sure to pay close attention to Riley's newly exposed breasts. As he heard Riley's moans grow louder Lucas knew that she was ready for him to take it a step further. Lucas' hands slid down to her waistline, as he immediately pulled both her pants and underwear off. Lucas broke his lips away from her exposed breast and took a look at his beautiful girlfriend once more in her fully exposed body.

"You are absolutely breathtaking…" Lucas whispered.

"Wait…We need protection…" Riley whispered back.

Lucas' eyes grew wide upon realizing that he didn't bring any protection or even think of buying any protection.

"Riles…I don't have any…" Lucas whispered back.

"I think my dad keeps them in the medicine cabinet…" Riley whispered back. "Get under the covers and I'll be right back…" Riley said as she took one of her towels hanging on the chair and wrapped it around her body.

Lucas watched as he saw his beautiful girlfriend take off for a minute. Lucas got under Riley's comforter and smiled to himself. He knew that their first time was going to be special, but this was beyond what he was expecting. The moment that the both of them shared was special, and he knew that it was one of the memories that he was going to remember forever. He turned his attention back to the door as he noticed Riley walk back into the room holding exactly what they needed. As Riley slid into bed right next to Lucas, he brushed the hair that was covering her face.

"Are you ready?" Lucas whispered as he brought Riley closer.

"I've been ready for my whole life for this moment…" Riley whispered back.

That was all Lucas needed to know as he united their lips once again as he slowly slid his legs over Riley's until he was straddling her. Lucas broke the kiss as he looked into her eyes one more time to see if she was sure about what was going to happen next.

"Be gentle…" Riley encouraged.

"Of course Riles…This is my time to treat you like the queen that you really are…" Lucas replied as he captured their lips again.

* * *

It was five the next morning as both Riley and Lucas got up and ready for the day. Riley had promised Lucas that she would drive him to the airport that day with everybody else. Both of them had permanent smiled on their faces after the events of the past six hours. It was pretty obvious that none of them had gotten any real sleep that night since they were too busy basking in each others glory and just talking. Lucas united their hands together as he kissed Riley one more time in front of the bay window.

"It's going to be a while till I'm back in here…" Lucas laughed.

"Hey you're still welcome to visit while I'm away I mean Auggie would love to spend time with his future brother in law." Riley teased.

"Back it up princess that's not going to be for a while." Lucas laughed.

As the both of them climbed down the fire escape towards the street, Lucas suddenly began regretting leaving. He didn't want to leave the city that he had grown up to love so much ever since had moved into the city back in the seventh grade. As they got into Riley's car, he sighed sadly knowing that he had two hours left in the city. The entire drive over to pick up their friends, his luggage and the ride over to JFK International Airport, he kept his hands united in Riley's as she drove in silence. The rest of their friends were passed out in the back of the car until they arrived at the airport. As they pulled into the underground parking garage, Riley began to feel tears already making their way down her cheeks.

"I'll be up there in four days Labor day long weekend. ." Lucas said as he brushed the tears away from Riley's face.

"I thought I was going to be OK with this… I'm totally not OK with this…" Riley whispered.

"This is something that the both of us need to do. And in the end it's all going to be worth it…Hey we still got our grad school to look forward to…" Lucas promised as he and the gang made their way inside the airport.

"And this time your transferring to Harvard…" Riley said placing a kiss on Lucas' lips.

"Just like we promised each other last night…" Lucas replied.

"Attention all passengers on board American Airlines Flight 337 bound for Washington DC your flight leaves in twenty minutes…Please proceed to your gates immediately." The voice replied over the loud speakers.

"Good luck out there man…" Zay replied pulling Lucas in for a hug.

"Good luck out here…" Lucas whispered. "I know you're going to kill it."

"I'm going to certainly do my best…" Zay responded.

"You take care of yourself Huckleberry…" Maya laughed pulling Lucas in for a hug. "As much as I'm going to regret saying this to you later on, you mean a lot to me…"

"You mean a lot to me too shortstack…" Lucas teased.

"I swear I'm going to kill Riley in her sleep for coming up with that nickname…" Maya growled.

"Don't you dare try killing my future wife…" Lucas sneered.

"I'm kidding…I could never kill my bestie…" Maya laughed as she stepped back.

"Thank you so much for promising to take care of Riley out there Farkle…" Lucas said bringing the genius in for a hug.

"Hey she's got to have a bodyguard out there doesn't she?" Farkle laughed. "I promise, I'll take great care of her. We are going to be roommates after all." Farkle smiled. "I'll see you in a couple of days…"

"I'm already looking forward to it…" Lucas laughed.

Lucas gulped as he took one look at Riley. All of the memories of their lives together so far seemed to flash in front of his eyes and he couldn't help but feel so heartbroken that he was leaving this special girl. She meant the world to him and he hated seeing her this hurt. He had always told himself that this was something that would be good for all of them. But now that the time had actually arrived Lucas couldn't help but feel so heartbroken and that he was making the wrong decision.

"All passengers on flight 337 bound to Washington your plane will depart in ten minutes please report to the gate immediately." The lady on the speaker reported.

"This is actually it…" Riley whispered.

"I don't want to go…" Lucas whispered back causing every single person there to gasp. "I'll find something to do in New Haven and maybe transfer to Yale or something we'll figure it out but I just can't picture myself not being with you…" Lucas replied.

"Lucas…" Riley grabbed a hold of his cheeks. "You need to do this…It'll be good for the both of us…Sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder remember?"

"It's just that you're going to be so far away from me and I don't know if I can handle that." Lucas responded.

"You'll do just fine…" Riley replied. "Remember what I told you last night…I'll always be with you. Because you Lucas Friar have my heart."

"And you have mine…" Lucas nodded as he felt tears make their way down his face.

"Forever…" The couple replied while they pulled each other in for one final kiss.

* * *

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	17. Their Lives Apart Year One

**FOREVER**

 _ **I originally had it plotted out that the entire four years of college would be in one chapter...But I decided to split it into three parts...So here is part one of the next four years with Riley and Lucas apart from each other...**_

* * *

 _ **Their Lives Apart Year One…**_

* * *

 **September 1** **st** **2020**

* * *

Lucas stirred in his sleep as he rolled over to open his eyes into the familiar bedroom. Riley and Farkle had moved into a beautiful condo both paid by their parents which was a five minute walk off campus. Lucas had flown in that night for a visit to New Haven. He knew that this wouldn't be the first time that he would find himself in this twin sized bed. He had already planned to come up and visit during their semester break. He couldn't help but look at his beautiful princess who was fast asleep next to him. The two of them had decided to "initiate" the new mattress last night and let's just say that he hoped Farkle had used earplugs or at least headphones. Lucas wrapped his arms around Riley and pulled her closer to him. Even though he loved talking to her, it was the quiet moments like these where they would just be lying next to each other or even simply just talking about life. He smiled as he felt Riley turn towards him and place a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Morning love…" Riley whispered as she buried her face into Lucas' firm chest.

"I thought you would still be asleep after last night…" Lucas whispered placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I thought I would be too but a certain someone decided to wake me up and pull me in for one of those hugs that I love…" Riley teased.

"Well that certain someone missed his princess…" Lucas replied.

"We've only been apart for a whole week…" Riley giggled.

"That is way too long for me…" Lucas laughed. "I thought I would forget how waking up next to you would feel like."

"Well did you remember now?" Riley said as she sat up.

"You bet I did…" Lucas smiled sitting up next to Riley and wrapping his arms around her back. "Come on I know for a fact that you missed me too…"

"I did…" Riley laughed.

"Good…" Lucas teased uniting his lips with hers once more. "So what do you want to do today princess? We could go for a walk along the beach or just stay in until the rest of the gang come along."

"Well I kind of like where we are right now…" Riley teased. "But I did promise Farkle and Smackle that we would go out for brunch with them…"

"Darn it I was hoping that we could at least stay like this for a couple more minutes…" Lucas pouted.

"Well I did tell them that we would head out around nine…and we did get up a lot earlier than expected…" Riley smirked.

"Then I guess we have a lot of free time on our hands to do some other things first…" Lucas smirked.

Riley immediately wrapped her hands over Lucas' neck and pulled Lucas in for another passionate kiss. As Lucas laid back down he couldn't help but thank the higher powers for giving him this beautiful girl into his life. As Riley placed several kisses on his cheeks he wrapped his arms securely around her back as he had full intentions on enjoying all of the private time that they would be able to get.

"I love you Riles…" Lucas whispered in between kisses.

"I love you too Luke…" Riley whispered back as she began working on kissing down Lucas' toned body once again.

* * *

It was much later on in the day when the four occupants of the condo for the weekend made their way down to the beach. Riley's parents had actually owned a beach house down there, and had graciously allowed Riley to have a get together there. It was a beautiful sunny day and the four best friends used it as the opportunity to take in all of the fun. Zay and Smackle would be coming up to join them the next day, but for now the core four were enjoying each others company. They spent most of the day having fun in the water and getting into as much water wars as possible. As the sun set, both Lucas and Farkle had gone to fetch wood in able to build a bonfire.

"So you and Farkle still going strong?" Riley asked as she turned to Maya.

"Yeah I think so. You know I think that me and him could actually end up working out…" Maya laughed.

"You deserve happiness Maya. You've been hurt so many times before, and I'm glad that Farkle's the one to make sure you get all the happiness you deserve." Riley smiled.

"Well this is the first time that I've actually ever experienced being in love Riles. If someone were to tell me that I would end up finding true love six years ago I would have called an ambulance to send them to the mental hospital." Maya joked. "It's a great feeling Riles…I finally know what all of this hype is about." Maya laughed.

"So Faya is endgame?" Riley laughed.

"I would think so..." Maya smiled resting her head on Riley's shoulder. "Just as long as we don't give up on each other."

"Hey the both of you have made it through so much over these several years of knowing each other. You both started off as great friends, and let your relationship blossom right after that. That's a for sure sign that you guys are meant to be together." Riley laughed.

"I actually love someone…And I want to be with them forever…" Maya said shocked.

"I'm so happy for you peaches…" Riley wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Have you told him all of this yet?"

"No not yet…I'm afraid…" Maya whispered.

"Of what?" Riley asked confused.

"Of what Farkle is going to say. Riles what if he doesn't say he loves me back…I can't live with that rejection for the rest of my life…"

"Maya he loves you…He would have broken up with you before we started college if he didn't have any sort of feelings for you he wouldn't even try to attempt to go through the long distance relationship." Riley grabbed Maya's hand. "Go on…tell him… You won't regret this…"

Maya took a look at Farkle who was laughing with Lucas as they collected some fallen branches for the campfire. Maya took one look at Riley who just simply nodded her head telling her to go ahead. Maya took a deep breath as she made her way over to the guys. Riley watched as Maya walked over to the boys and whispered in Farkle's ear. The both of them walked away towards the pier as Lucas smirked and walked over to Riley carrying the branches.

"What's up with them?" Lucas wondered.

"It's something that needs to be done…" Riley pointed out.

"Are they going to be OK?" Lucas wondered.

"You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I have a feeling that Maya is about to change her and Farkle's relationship right about now…"

"Oh no…She's breaking up with him isn't she?" Lucas asked shocked.

"No she's not…She's about to tell him that she loves him." Riley replied back.

"Well then she's about to make Farkle the second happiest guy on the planet…" Lucas laughed.

"I'm guessing you would be the first wouldn't you?" Riley giggled.

"How could I not be when I have this amazing girl all to myself?" Lucas smirked as he placed several kisses down Riley's neck. "What do you say we leave these guys alone for a while and we go and wash off the beach water off of us?"

"Shower together?" Riley smirked seductively.

"Duh…" Lucas giggled as the both of them began chasing each other back into the beach house.

It was a couple of hours later and the campfire was burning brightly on the beach. The four friends were sitting around the fire simply laughing. Maya's confession to Farkle had turned out a whole lot better than she was expecting. Which is why she was currently sat between Farkle's legs and his arms were secured around her tightly. Riley sat on Lucas' lap as the country gentleman continued to place soft kisses on her cheek.

"Can you guys believe that in two days we're actually going to start college?" Farkle said still in a state of shock.

"I have to pinch myself everyday that I actually got into my dream school in the first place. This all seems to be like a dream too good to be true." Riley responded.

"You guys seriously better come on up to the west coast. I'll be glad to have some familiar faces around such a big city." Maya replied.

"Don't worry when winter comes we'll be knocking on your door every chance we get." Lucas teased. "Speaking of which is everybody heading back to the city for winter break?"

"I will most definitely. But I'll have to head back before new years since I have some exams the week we come back from break." Riley confessed.

"I won't." Farkle responded.

"Why not?" Maya asked curiously.

"I promised my parents that we would travel to Connecticut to visit my extended family and like Riley pointed out I'll have to be back before new years too." Farkle replied.

"Then why don't we spend new years here in New Haven?" Lucas suggested. "I mean you two do have the pull out mattress in the living room for Zay and Smackle."

"That's actually a decent idea Huckleberry." Maya laughed.

"So you and Farkle?" Riley questioned.

"We're going to last…" Farkle smiled as he united his hands with hers. "We've waited forever for us to get together, and that's a for sure sign that we should at least give whatever it is we have a good chance." Farkle replied.

"I was hoping you two would say that. Congratulations you two you all deserve it…" Lucas smiled.

"I actually understand this love business now…" Maya teased.

"I knew you would eventually…You just needed the right guy to understand what love really feels like." Riley laughed.

"I'm surprised she found someone in the first place." Lucas teased.

"Watch it Huckleberry…" Maya threatened.

"You know I'm just messing with you…" Lucas laughed.

The next afternoon the entire Matthews family and the rest of Riley's friends had made it up for a barbecue. It was everyone's last day of freedom before school was supposed to start that Tuesday. The rest of the group was once again hanging out on the beach and just enjoying life. Which would explain why Riley and Lucas were currently floating on an inflatable raft. Lucas had his arms wrapped protectively around Riley's waist as the both of them laid down and looked up at the cloudless sky.

"This has been the perfect weekend…" Lucas smiled kissing Riley on the lips softly.

"It sure has…It makes me regret you leaving tomorrow afternoon." Riley responded.

"Let's not try to think about that tonight OK princess?" Lucas asked brushing a stray hair away from her face. "We have at least twenty four hours left together so let's make the best of it…" Lucas smiled.

"That seems like such a short time to be able to spend time together…" Riley sighed.

"I know what you mean…" Lucas sighed. "But hey in four years the two of us will be off to grad school together…"

"Speaking of which have you decided where your off to?" Riley questioned.

"Riles we barely started our college careers and here you are already planning ahead to grad school." Lucas teased.

"You're right." Riley smiled as she snuggled closer into Lucas' side. "We'll work hard in our undergrad degrees…"

"And we'll know that we're always going to be there for each other…" Lucas continued.

"And that in about 1460 days we'll never be apart from each other again." Riley finished. "That's exactly four years from today when we will finally be together for good."

"Well I can't wait…" Lucas smiled placing soft kisses on Riley's shoulders. "Then we can get started on that family we've always wanted to have…" Lucas teased.

Back on dry land, Farkle and Maya were sharing an ice cream cone while dipping their feet into the shallow water below them. Maya had a huge smile plastered on her face the entre time. She had that look for most of the night and into the morning.

"You know I've never seen you this happy before Maya." Farkle teased.

"Well I have a good reason to be…" Maya replied. "Last night was possibly the happiest I've ever been for a long while."

"Same here." Farkle responded. "Look at us Maya…In a committed relationship. Gosh who would have thought that was going to happen?"

"I sure didn't. I didn't think I was going to be able to have a relationship with anyone to be honest with you." Maya laughed. "But I'm happy it's with you…" Maya smiled. "I once told Josh that I was in it for the long game…But now I think between me and you…" Maya intertwined both her and Farkle's hands. " I think that I could possibly be in this for good."

"So you believe the both of us could possibly be endgame?" Farkle teased.

"Hey like Riley always says…Life knows what it's doing, and recently life has constantly been showing me that you are the one for me…So I'm willing to trust life this time because this past month has been the happiest I've been in my life. And I don't want that feeling to ever go away."

"I promise you it won't…" Farkle smiled.

"So you mean that you think we're endgame too?" Maya laughed.

"Hey I always knew that it was going to be either you or Riley that I would end up being with. I've always had a strong connection with the both of you…But my connection with you…That's something that I could possibly not explain." Farkle explained. "It's been you all along Maya…The one who's meant for me…" Farkle said as he grabbed a hold of Maya's face and kissed her nose. "And whenever we're ready I want the both of us to make the promise of forever. But for now, knowing that you love me is everything that I need to know…"

"I do love you Farklestein…" Maya said pulling Farkle closer to her. "I'll always love you…" The both of them leaned closer as Maya united their lips. Farkle couldn't help but think that everything in his life was finally the way it should be… He was about to start an amazing career in science, he had amazing friends there to help him, but most importantly…He had finally won Maya's heart all for himself. It was a good feeling to know that nobody else was going to love her the way he did.

* * *

 **NOVEMEBR 18** **TH** **2020**

* * *

Riley was cooped up in the living room of her spacious condo alone. She had a ton of work to do to prepare herself for the endless exams that were going to hit her in just a couple of weeks. She sighed as she tore her eyes away from her thick anatomy book and looked out the window. It was dark outside and the leaves had all fallen off of the trees. But the most important thing, it was Thanksgiving. And she wasn't in New York City with the rest of her friends celebrating. And she missed Lucas. He had to cancel his trip up to New Haven for their semester break since he needed to head home to Texas to help out on the farm. Riley closed her eyes and just simply ignored the liquid that was now pouring down her face. This was her first Thanksgiving alone, and she wished so hard that she could be able to be back home with her entire family. She had called earlier that morning and of course, her mom couldn't really talk much since she was getting ready for the annual family dinner. Riley shook her head and opened her eyes to her empty living room once again. She needed to get cracking on her anatomy study notes if she wanted to pass the exam that upcoming Tuesday. She cursed her professor for giving out the exam the first day back from Thanksgiving. She knew that her entire anatomy class was staying behind for the holiday just so they could study. Riley picked up her pens and highlighters once again and she began to do the endless pages of reading that was assigned. It was about two hours later and she had officially had enough about the human body. She picked up her phone for the first time that day and saw various missed calls and texts mostly from her best friends wishing her a happy Thanksgiving. Riley opened up her Instagram page and was met with several pictures from the party goers that night. Riley sighed as she saw how happy everyone looked. It was then that she was hit with a gigantic wave of sadness and loneliness. She wished so bad that she was there for the annual Matthews Thanksgiving celebration but she knew that it couldn't be possible. She was taken out of her train of thought when she noticed that Lucas was calling her.

"Hi babe…" Riley said trying to mask her sadness.

"Riles are you crying?!" Lucas said in one big jumble. "What's wrong?"

"It's just that I wish I was there to be able to celebrate with everyone today…" Riley sighed. "This entire weekend I've done nothing but work my ass off on studying for the anatomy final and I didn't even get time to go out for Yale's Thanksgiving celebration…"

"You spent the entire day alone?" Lucas questioned.

"I had to Luke…There's just so much work to do…" Riley sighed.

"But Riles what about you? You need some time for yourself you know…" Lucas pointed out.

"I can't have any time for myself until I know that I've finished everything…" Riley pointed out.

"But you spent this entire holiday by yourself…" Lucas said sadly. "Riles why didn't you call me so I could have flown out to be there with you…"

"I'm perfectly fine Lucas…" Riley lied.

"Riles no your not…Your lonely I could tell by the sound of your voice…" Lucas pointed out.

"I'm just so sad I wasn't there…" Riley sobbed. "The one holiday where I get to be grateful for everything that I have in life and I don't get to spend it with the people who I'm most grateful for…"

"You could've flown out last night…" Lucas pointed out.

"It wouldn't have worked out. I have two exams on Tuesday…" Riley responded. "I couldn't just fly home and not have time to study."

"But…" Lucas sighed.

"I need to get back to studying Luke…" Riley cut him off. "I'll see you over Christmas?"

"I won't be in the city remember?" Lucas sighed.

"You mean we won't be able to see each other until new years?" Riley questioned.

"I knew I should have just invited you up to Texas over the fall break…" Lucas sighed.

"I'll talk to you soon Luke OK?" Riley promised.

"Wait Riles…" Lucas cut her off. "I miss you…Please come up to the city…"

"You know I can't do that Lucas…" Riley replied. "Not until I finish with my exams…"

"But I'll be back in Texas while you and Farkle finish…" Lucas said sadly. "I won't see you for another month…" Lucas sighed. "Are we falling apart Riley?"

"No of course not Luke…We just have really busy schedules that's all…" Riley responded. "We gotta keep working hard if we want to make it to grad school."

"Riles…Do you think that college is going to destroy us?" Lucas asked.

"No of course not…We're stronger than this remember?" Riley reminded him of the talk they had the night before they left for college.

"I just can't help but think that I'm losing you…" Lucas responded.

"You're not Lucas…The both of us have just been really busy." Riley replied.

"But we barely talk…And we haven't seen each other since that labor day long weekend…" Lucas said with sadness written all over his voice. "I feel like I'm losing you…"

"I promise you your not…" Riley promised. "Look Luke I need to go I still have 170 pages of reading I need to do…I love you sweetie…Please remember that OK?"

Lucas just hung up the phone on Riley before she could fully respond. Lucas climbed out of Riley's bay window and sat on the fire escape. He let all of the tears that he had been holding back make their way out. He took a look at his ring finger and felt himself fall apart again. He wasn't lying when he felt that he was losing Riley. The both of them had talked less and less and that was the one thing that Lucas didn't want happening. He was taken out of his train of thought when he noticed Mr. Matthews climb out of his daughters bay window and sit across from him.

"You miss her too don't you?" Cory sighed.

"More than anything…Mr. Matthews do you think me and Riley made the right decision? Going to separate colleges?" Lucas questioned.

"You did…You did what was best for yourselves…" Cory replied.

"But if it's the best thing for us then why does it feel so wrong?" Lucas questioned.

"I guess that's how life works Mr. Friar. One of the greatest mysteries in life is if we believe we made the right choices, most of the time in that moment they will feel like we made a big mistake." Cory explained. "I know the both of you really well, and I've been so fortunate to have been able to see your relationship blossom into the loving and caring relationship that it is now." Cory smiled. "You two have believed in your love for one another and that's something that you need to remember moving forward. Because true love always wins…" Cory said getting up and patting Lucas on the shoulder.

Lucas walked back to his family's condo that night and was greeted with a box sitting on the table. Lucas shrugged as he made his way over to it. He had noticed the familiar writing that was on the front of the card. His curiousness was piqued wondering how long the box had been delivered to their house. As Lucas opened the card he had to smile at the note inside.

"Typical Riley…" Lucas laughed.

Inside the box Riley had packed several of the couples favorite things. He had to smile knowing that Riley knew exactly what to do in order for him to feel better. As he took out the contents of the box he began to realize that Mr. Matthews was indeed right. As long as he had faith in their love, that everything was going to work out in the end.

* * *

 **DECEMBER 8** **TH** **2020**

* * *

It was officially Riley's nineteenth birthday and she had been woken up by their front door slamming shut and a bunch of noise was happening in the living room. Riley immediately ran out of the bedroom to see what was happening. She was greeted by the sight of Farkle who was currently trashing their apartment complex.

"Farkle!" Riley yelled trying to stop him from making such a mess. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Maya and me are finished…" Farkle said as he tightened his fists.

"What?" Riley whispered.

"She called me last night to end it…" Farkle responded.

"Farkle…Maya loves you…Why on earth would she decide to end this?"

"I've been trying to figure that out Riley…" Farkle said still in a state of shock. "This doesn't make any sense to any of us…"

"Do you want me to talk to her for you?" Riley suggested.

"No I don't want to be a burden to you…" Farkle replied.

"You wouldn't be a burden Farkle…Your one of my best friends and I want to be able to help you through whatever it is your going through…" Riley responded.

"I just don't understand why she did it Riley…" Farkle replied.

"I'm sure she has her reasons…" Riley responded.

"I thought me and her were supposed to be endgame…" Farkle sobbed.

"Farkle…" Riley wrapped her arms around him. "Look if the both of you were meant to be with each other than life will always find a way of making it happen."

"You think so?" Farkle wondered.

"I do…" Riley nodded.

"I just hope that life actually knows what it's doing this time…" Farkle sighed.

Riley made sure that Farkle was doing OK for the rest of the day. She didn't even remember that it was her birthday until she noticed that Maya was calling her.

"Happy birthday Riles…" Maya said cheerfully.

"Maya what were you thinking?" Riley questioned.

"Oh lord Farkle told you huh?" Maya questioned.

"What happened Maya?" Riley wondered.

"I lost the spark I guess…" Maya sighed.

"Maya how could that possibly happen…You and Farkle have been in love with each other for so long…" Riley questioned.

"I met someone…" Maya confessed.

"From school?" Riley wondered.

"He showed me things that Farkle never could have possibly shown me…He made me feel special…Like I was somebody to be loved…" Maya responded.

"Farkle showed you that too…" Riley fought back.

"But it's different with him…" Maya whispered. "He's intimate with me…"

"OH my god Maya…You lost your virginity to someone who isn't Farkle?" Riley whispered.

"I was tempted!" Maya responded.

"I thought you were better than this Maya…" Riley replied.

"Look say and think however you want…But I'm not regretting my decision…" Maya responded. "Farkle was great… I loved him…But this person I'm seeing…"

"Does he even have a name?" Riley questioned.

"Andre… His name is Andre…And lately I've been attracted to him…" Maya responded.

"Because of his looks?" Riley questioned.

"NO…His personality…" Maya finished. "Look is Farkle OK?"

"He's hurt Maya…" She responded.

"I never wanted it to go down like this…" Maya sighed.

"Well I don't see how it could be avoided…" Riley replied. "But as long as you're happy then that's all that matters…"

"I am happy Riley extremely happy…" Maya stated.

"Than that's all that matters…" Riley responded with a hint of uncertainty still written all over her face.

* * *

 **DECEMBER 31, 2020**

* * *

Riley immediately ran towards Lucas' awaiting arms. They hadn't seen each other in person for a total of four months. Which was quite a long time to not see someone you were madly in love with. Lucas caught Riley in his arms and spun her around.

"God it's so good to hold you again…" Lucas stated leaving several kisses all over Riley's face. "Promise me we'll never go this long without seeing each other again."

"We'll make time…" Riley smiled.

"Good…" Lucas smiled. "I feel guilty now…" Lucas pouted. "I'm the happiest I've ever been but now Farkle's really down because of the breakup."

"He's getting there…" Riley replied. "But you're right. He's still hurt."

"I just can't believe that Maya did that to him…" Lucas responded. "Manage to fall in love with someone else…"

"It shocked me too…" Riley responded.

"Farkle said that Maya ended up falling for some other guy." Lucas responded.

"I found it weird too…" Riley replied. "But to be honest, I guess things like this happen in life…" Riley replied as the both of them got into Riley's SUV.

"Thank god we don't have to deal with that…" Lucas replied grabbing a hold of Riley's hands. "Because we've been together for a while now…"

"And I've known that I found the one all the way back in the seventh grade…" Riley laughed.

The couple united their lips for a long kiss as Riley was about to start the car. Lucas grabbed a hold of Riley's freehand and as they drove out of the parking garage and headed out towards the snowy streets. The couple began to catch each other up on the major events that's happened in their significant lives for a while.

"So I hit a straight A average for the first time in my entire school life." Lucas said proudly.

"That's incredible goregeous…." Riley complemented as she placed a kiss on his lips. "I knew you would do it eventually."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence princess." Lucas smiled.

"Hey you're working hard towards something that you are extremely passionate about that's something not to be ashamed of my love." Riley replied.

"Enough about me what's been going on with you and Farkle besides the breakup?" Lucas asked as he accepted a cup of hot chocolate from Riley.

"Well we both got into student government…Me and the freshman representative and Farkle as the secretary or assistant to the President of student government." Riley responded. "With our responsibilities to student government and our demanding school schedule, turns out that we really didn't have that much free time on our hands."

"Well tonight let's hope we change that…" Lucas laughed wrapping a hand around Riley's waist. Riley leaned into Lucas' embrace as they saw the front door open they noticed that Farkle walked in with the liquor that Riley told him to pick up.

"Hey Lucas!" Farkle said excitedly.

"How you holding up buddy?" Lucas asked worriedly.

"I'm living…" Farkle responded. "I've been doing everything I possibly could to take my mind off of the situation." Farkle explained.

"It's going to get better Farkle I promise…" Riley smiled up to the genius. "But in the meantime why don't we just let loose tonight and enjoy each other's company?" Riley suggested.

"I know a great bar that's not too far away from here…" Farkle replied.

"Woah…." Riley and Lucas both said in a state of shock. "You drink?"

"How do you think I've been staying calm these past couple of months?" Farkle laughed. "But you two have nothing to worry about. I'm not an obsessive drinker or anything."

"Good…" Lucas said as he wrapped his arms around Farkle. "We don't want you going off the deep end."

"I promise you I won't…I'll do everything I can to stay in check." Farkle swore.

"Then what are we waiting for? The bars await…" Riley responded.

The trio spent most of the night at the local pub just laughing like old times and enjoying each others company. The three of them all put all of their worries away and just focused on having an enjoyable time together. As the clock struck close to midnight, both Riley and Lucas found themselves helping a very hungover Farkle into the living room.

"God I thought he said he wasn't a heavy drinker…" Lucas moaned.

"Well clearly he is…" Riley replied as the both of them dumped Farkle onto the couch.

"Glad that's all taken care of…" Lucas laughed.

"Oh come on Luke he's still our best friend…" Riley said as she began covering Farkle up in as much blankets as possible.

"Yeah I know…" Lucas laughed. "I just hope he gets himself back together real fast."

"I hope he does too…" Riley smiled.

The couple were interrupted when they heard screaming and fireworks going off right outside the window. Ringing in the brand new year. Lucas wrapped his arms protectively around Riley's shoulders as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Happy new year baby girl…" Lucas whispered.

"Happy new year to you too Luke…" Riley replied wrapping her arms around his neck. "Here's to many more years spent together."

"We have a whole lifetime of New Years to celebrate together…" Lucas whispered. "And I can't wait till the first New Years we get to spend as a married couple…"

"Why's that?" Riley asked confused.

"So that I know that each and every single New Year, I get to spend it with the best wife on the planet…" Lucas smirked as he leaned down and connected their lips.

* * *

 **FEBRUARY 14** **TH** **2021**

* * *

It was a big day for Lucas. As he pulled his truck into Newark Airport he couldn't help but hold back the big smile on his face. Riley had managed to get away for a long weekend and it just so happened to be the Valentine's Weekend. The both of them had remained strong in their relationship putting complete and utter trust in one another. Riley had called to surprise him earlier on that week and he couldn't be happier. As he made his way towards the arrival area he couldn't help but have an extra spring in his step as he made his way towards the gate. He held onto the bouquet of long stemmed roses tightly in his hand patiently tapping his foot. He had waited so long to see that beautiful face for a while. He smiled brightly as soon as he saw his beautiful girlfriend walk through the double doors. Riley immediately ran towards him and brought him in for a hug. Lucas wrapped his arms securely around her hips as he brought her in for a passionate kiss.

"I've missed this face…" Lucas said as he pinched her cheeks.

"I missed this face too…" Riley laughed as she ran her hands through Lucas' soft hair.

"Oh these are for you by the way…" Lucas laughed awkwardly as he held out the beautiful bouqet towards his girlfriend.

"Thank you so much Luke…" Riley laughed as she pulled him in for another kiss. "Now I'm only here for a couple of days now what do you say we get started on enjoying ourselves?"

"Already one step ahead of you…" Lucas wiggled his eyebrows. "I booked one of the nicest hotels in the city for the next couple of days…" Lucas was interrupted when his phone rang.

"Luke aren't you getting that?" Riley asked curiously.

"Ugh why do they want to bother me?" Lucas moaned as he checked the caller ID. "Oh hold on I think this is my mama calling me from Texas…" Lucas replied. Lucas placed a quick kiss on Riley's lips as he walked away.

Riley watched her boyfriend curiously as she saw him pacing frantically and tugging at his hair. Riley wondered what could be happening on the other end of the line as she saw Lucas begin to fall to the ground. Riley decided she would go over there to find out what exactly had happened.

"Luke is everything OK?" Riley wondered.

"No…That was my aunt Emily…My mom just died from a heart attack…" Lucas said heartbroken.

* * *

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	18. Their Lives Apart Part Two

_**FOREVER…**_

 **I have made my triumphant return! Now time for some explaining. I had chapters written for this story and I had it all mapped out, on how I wanted to end the series. However as I read these chapters I realized that I was rushing to the ending and not letting the characters of Riley and Lucas be natural. The one thing that I love about their relationship is that it was never forced. It was organic and real, and what these chapters I had written did not show that. So I did some rewrites and have finally decided that I like the direction that I am going towards the end of the series. There about ten more chapters to go. So the end is near my fellow readers. For those wondering about Maya she will come back I promise she plays a MAJOR role in the next several chapters.**

* * *

 **FEBRUARY 14** **TH** **2021**

Lucas and Riley had immediately flown back into Austin as soon as he got the call that his mom had died. Riley had spent the flight messaging all of their friends and letting them know of the tragedy that had suddenly happened. Lucas found out that his mom was shot in the middle of a bank hostage a couple of days ago. She was back in Austin for a business trip, and checking in on the Friar ranch. She wasn't supposed to be shot…She wasn't even supposed to be held hostage…Those thoughts crowded Lucas' mind as him and Riley made their way into the coroner's office. The Austin State Police Department were the ones that called Lucas earlier that morning.

"Here are all of her belongings…" One of the officers stated holding out a plastic bag that held Mrs. Friar's clothes and her purse.

"Thank you officer…" Riley said as she accepted the items from him.

"Where is she?" Lucas asked in a monotone voice.

"We have her in the morgue." The officer replied. "If you would like we could escort you to her…"

"She needs to come with me…" Lucas said taking a firm grip on Riley's hand.

"I'm sorry it's family only…" The officer stated.

"She's going to be my future wife…I believe that classifies her as family…" Lucas responded still in a monotone voice. Fear and sadness was written all over to his voice.

"Of course then Mr. Friar this way…I believe some of your family are already back there…" The officer replied.

Lucas kept his eyes on the floor as the officer led him and Riley through the narrow and plain hallways towards the morgue. A part of Lucas' mind was telling him that he wouldn't believe that his mom had died until he saw her physical body. He felt Riley grip onto his hand tighter and she used her free hand to run it through his hair. After several years together, she knew that when she ran her hands through his hair that it was one of the best ways to calm him down.

"She's right through that hallway… Last door on the right…" He replied.

"Thank you officer…" Riley replied.

"M'am we also need to contact the rest of his immediate family…" He informed her.

"I'll make sure that they will all be contacted…" Riley nodded. "Thank you for your assistance…"

As the officer walked away Lucas snapped out of his daze and turned towards Riley who wore a look of heartbreak and sympathy written all over her facial features.

"Riles how could this have happened?" Lucas asked shocked. "She was only coming up here for a business trip…"

"Luke baby I'm so sorry…" Riley said as she wrapped her arms around Lucas' toned body. "Sometimes the higher powers take away some of the best people on this earth first." Riley replied. "But I like to believe they all become angels…"

"She didn't even see me have children…Get married…One of her biggest dreams was to always be a loving grandmother and that isn't going to happen now…" Lucas said as tears made their way down his face. "She wasn't supposed to go this soon…" Lucas continued. "She was so close to fixing things with my dad…"

"You're dad? Things were going wrong with your parents?" Riley asked.

"They filed for an annulment four months ago…" Lucas stated in his monotone voice. "But recently…Mom's been talking about how she could possibly want to give my dad a second chance…" Lucas began. "But that's not going to happen now…"

"Lucas…" Riley said grabbing a hold of his hand. "I know things may look horrible at the moment, but there is always going to be a bright side to things."

"How can you be so sure?" Lucas wondered.

"Because like all things in life, we move on and just wait for things to get better eventually." Riley responded.

"I hope you're right about this Riley…I really hope you are right about this…" Lucas said as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "I meant what I said back there…About you being my future wife. I still hope one day that I will get to finally place an engagement ring on your finger…" Lucas said.

"And that's the one thing that you should hold on to…" Riley responded. "The fact that one day, I will be Mrs. Riley Friar." Riley smiled.

"Matthews-Friar…" Lucas responded.

"What? You want to take up my last name?" Riley said shocked.

"I do…" Lucas nodded frantically. "You're the love of my life, and being able to take your last name is a way for me to keep a part of you with me for the rest of my life." Lucas said taking Riley's hands.

"I would be honored for you to have my last name…" Riley smiled placing a kiss on Lucas' lips. "Do you think you're ready to say goodbye to your mom now?"

"I don't think I ever will be…" Lucas confessed.

"It's going to be OK Luke…I'll be right there with you."

"Promise me…Promise me we won't end up like my parents…" Lucas said in a panic.

"Our love story is much stronger than theirs…We've been together for nearly six years now Lucas, and throughout these six years I've seen our love grow to a point that we can trust each other. Our love has gone through so many bumps and rough patches but the most important thing here is that we both made it out. The both of us proved to each other that we can make it through anything."

"I just don't want to hurt you…" Lucas pulled Riley into a hug as he collapsed into her embrace. "I love you so much that I want to be able to give you the whole world."

"You already have given me the whole world…" Riley whispered kissing Lucas' cheek. "You've given me the whole world when you promised your love to me…That's all I will ever need."

* * *

Lucas walked into the morgue with Riley following right behind him. He had flashbacks to when Pappy Joe had passed away and Riley was with him for that as well. He shouldn't be surprised. Riley was there for all of the high points and low points in his life. Lucas felt as if he was suddenly getting tunnel vision as he saw a body covered under a white sheet. Riley took a hold of his hands as Lucas turned to look over his shoulder and saw Riley staring at him with all the love and support that she had been giving to him for the majority of their relationship.

"Mom…" Lucas whispered taking a hold of the white sheets. As Lucas pulled away the sheets he noticed that his mom was lying on the table looking so peaceful. Lucas felt tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Mom…" Lucas whispered silently. "I'm so sorry mom I should have been there to protect you. I should have at the very least been there for you when you were going through all of this unnecessary drama with dad." Lucas confessed as he felt all of the guilt and anger that he had been holding back for so long beginning to surface. "You always were able to believe in me no matter what was going on in my life. You showed me what it truly means to love…" Lucas said as he pulled Riley into his side. "And I promise…I will spend the rest of my life showing Riley how much I love her…Pappy Joe told me before he died that I would have to hold onto Riley for as long as I could. Because what he said struck me…Anybody would be extremely lucky to have Riley Matthews as their girlfriend." Lucas gulped. "And I don't like the thought that there could be other guys who get to call Riley their girlfriend…" Lucas said as tears began to form down his eyes again. "I promise mom… I'll marry Riley one day, and I will make it my life mission to make her happy. Because that's what you taught me. To love someone unconditionally for the rest of your existence is not only a privilege it's a blessing." Lucas finished. "And I want to spend the rest of my life making sure that Riley knows how much she's loved.

"I do know…" Riley whispered back.

"Good. Because I meant what I said…I will spend the rest of my life on this earth showing you just how much I love you…" Lucas whispered back softly. "We made promises to forever…"

"And we're going to keep those promises…" Riley replied. "I am so proud of you Lucas…For the person that you've transformed into. You've come such a long way from being the troublemaker cowboy you once were known for." Riley smiled. "I know that you're mom is very proud of the person that you've become too."

"I've had one of the best influences to inspire me every single day. How can I not have been changed?" Lucas smiled.

"I'm sure you would have been fine…" Riley laughed.

"No Riles that's the point. I don't think I would have been the same person that I am today if you hadn't taken the leap of faith and decided to trust me." Lucas smiled as he covered his mom up once again with the white sheet. "You are the only one who gives me hope for this world." Lucas said as the both of them turned towards the hallway. "With you by my side, I feel like I could you know…Take on the world."

"You always could…And I promise I'll be there with you every step of the way." Riley responded.

As the couple walked into the hallway Lucas came face to face with someone who he thought he would never have to see for a while. Not until the wake at least.

"Dad…" Lucas said shocked. "You actually showed up…"

"Of course I showed up Lucas…I'm your father and I should be here for you…" He replied.

"Funny you should say that considering the fact that you have never even showed up for me for a very long time." Lucas snarled.

"Look I know you're still angry about the way things happened…"

"Angry? That's an understatement. I'm am absolutely infuriated with you dad…You just gave up on mom…. Just like that."

"Lucas there's more to that story…" His father argued.

"What else is there to tell dad? You ditched mom…You gave up on her…I have never been more disappointed in you." Lucas shook his head.

"Lucas you need to listen to me…I can explain all of this…"

"Then go ahead dad…Explain this. Please explain to me how it's possible that you could have given up on mom and decided to file for an annulment." Lucas asked.

"Because I was forced to…" Mr. Friar whispered.

"Forced to? By who?" Lucas scoffed.

"Look please I promise I will tell you everything just not here. I want you to meet me here." Mr. Friar said as he handed a slip of paper to Lucas who could just look at the crumpled piece of paper as he balled it up in his fist.

"Lucas…" Aunt Emily said as she ran towards her nephew. "Oh my god Darren…" She gasped.

"Em…" Darren whispered.

"What are you doing here?" Emily said as she gave him a nasty look. "Isn't it a little too late for you to show up."

"Look you both don't know the full story." Darren replied. "I promise you Lucas…If you meet with me tomorrow I promise I will tell you everything."

"How the hell did you even know that mom would be dead?" Lucas wondered.

"I work at the front desk. As soon as I found out she was brought in, I kept a close eye on her file. Just in case the worse happened." He explained.

"Turns out you were right…" Lucas snarled.

"Do you think I wanted this to happen?" He asked shocked.

"Well you don't really leave me much else to believe." Lucas stated. "You abandoned mom… You left me…" Lucas said as fresh tears made there way down his cheeks. He grabbed a strong hold of Riley's wrist. One thing he knew for sure was that he wanted Riley to be there for him. "If you know what's best for you…I would suggest you leave right now…"

"Lucas…Don't please…" Riley whispered. "You're stronger than that now." Riley pleased as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Fine…I'll leave. But if you know what's best for you please…Please come see me tomorrow. I promise I will come clean about everything." Daren said as he got up and walked down the hallways towards the elevator.

The thought of his dad explaining the full story was at the back of Lucas' mind as he sat up in bed staring at the blank wall. Riley walked out of the bathroom looking freshly showered. As she finished drying her hair Lucas rested his head on her shoulder and cuddled into her side.

"Hey I'm normally in this position…" Riley teased.

"Please just can we be like this for a while." Lucas pleaded.

"We can stay like this for however long you'd like." Riley said as she grabbed a hold of Lucas' hand and kissed his wrist. "How are you feeling?"

"I just can't believe this all happened. I just talked to her a couple days ago." Lucas said still in a state of denial.

"I know it's going to be a while for you to fully take it in." Riley replied. "But I'm here…Our best friends are here…Your Aunt Em…We're all here to make sure that you make it through this." Riley replied.

"Just as long as I have you I will be more than OK." Lucas sighed. "Please…Please don't ever leave me…" Lucas hugged Riley tighter. "I don't know what I would do if I were to ever lose you."

"That is one thing that you will never have to worry about. You are never going to lose me." Riley replied as Lucas leaned up to capture her lips in a sweet kiss.

"I love you so much Riles. Forever and always." Lucas promised.

"Forever and always." Riley promised.

"What do you think Riles? Do you think I should see him?" Lucas wondered.

"I can't answer that question love. Only you can." Riley said as she kissed his cheek.

"Can you come with me if I decide to go? I want you to be there with me…" Lucas said.

"Of course I will." Riley nodded.

"What on earth did I ever do to deserve you?" Lucas sighed as he leaned up to plant one more kiss on her lips. "The most perfect girlfriend ever."

"And you're the most perfect boyfriend ever." Riley teased. She laughed as Lucas let out a little yawn. "Aww. Is my bear tired?" Riley teased.

"Cuddle fest?" Lucas asked opening his arms wide.

"Of course bear." Riley laughed kissing Lucas' nose.

* * *

It was the next day and Lucas stood in front of a white door. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this. He looked over to his side and smiled as Riley gave his hand a gentle squeeze. It was all the comfort knowing that Riley was always going to be there for him. As Lucas rang the doorbell he felt his heart start to beat rapidly.

"Lucas come on in…" Daren said.

"You said you were going to tell me everything so go ahead…Start talking old man because you have a lot of explaining to do." Lucas said sitting down on the couch gesturing for Riley to sit beside him.

"Alright…" Daren said as he looked at Lucas, he saw the reflection of a man who he had always wanted to be. Someone who was loyal to his best friends, was able to show his special girl just how much she meant to him and most importantly he saw the reflection of someone who had dreams and aspirations for the future. "The first two years with you and your mother were amazing. It was everything I could have even possibly dreamed of. But we were both young. Your mom had you when she had just turned sixteen. And raising a child that young was a struggle. We were so close to graduating high school, and we both decided to drop out because we thought that was what was best. But as time went on, I felt like I could do so much better than being trapped taking care of a child…I had dreams of being a doctor and I had felt strong resentment towards…"

"Me? Your going to blame me for destroying your dreams?" Lucas interrupted.

"No…I resented myself. I should have been more careful…If I had used protection that night, there could have been the possibility that I would still be on my way to becoming a doctor. That I would have been the first person in my family to make it past high school. I had so much resentment towards myself that I was not able to fulfill those dreams…" Daren said as he took a deep breath. "So one night when I had had enough of wallowing in my self pity and guilt I decided that the best decision for me at the time was to head off and achieve what I wanted."

"And did you?" Lucas questioned.

"No…" Daren said. "I ended up going to night classes studying to be a medical assistant." Daren said.

"You have no idea how much pain I had in my heart growing up thinking that the reason why I didn't have a father was because he fell out of love with me…" Lucas said staring Daren straight in the face. "I cried night after night after night asking mom if you were ever going to come back. Asking her why you fell out of love with me. If I had done something wrong to you…"

"You didn't Lucas…" Daren sighed.

"Then why didn't you come to visit?" Lucas questioned. "You've been away for most of my life, and I hate that I spent so many birthdays and Christmases hoping you would unexpectedly show up at our doorstep and say that you were wrong and that you were coming back." Lucas said.

"I know I should've …"

"Then why didn't you?!" Lucas stood up staring at his dad in the face.

"Because I didn't know what to say if I was to ever come back…" Daren admitted.

"So you just decided to take the easy path and just walk away from everything?" Lucas questioned.

"It was for the best." Daren replied.

"Bullshit… Complete and utter bullshit…This was not the best for anyone. Not for me…Not for mom…The only person who benefited from this whole ordeal was you…" Lucas said as fresh tears made their way down his face.

"Lucas you have to understand…" Daren said in a big jumble. "I never wanted to hurt you or your mother. I just wanted what's best for you."

"If you wanted what's best for me and momma you would have stayed." Lucas said as he stood up and picked up his backpack. "Stay out of my life…You made the choice to stay out of it a long time ago, and as far as I'm concerned it's going to stay that way." Lucas grabbed a hold of Riley's hand and turned to his dad one last time. "And just so you know, starting today I am going to make a new promise to myself. I promise that I will be a better father than you. A million times better…" Lucas said as he and Riley walked towards the door. "Have a good life Daren."

And with that, Lucas slammed the door shut on his father for good. That chapter of his life had successfully closed. He had gotten his closure in his relationship with his father. As the next few days flew by, Lucas mourned with the rest of his family as they laid his mother to rest. It had been an insane four days of mourning and finding answers to questions that he had been asking himself for the longest time. The couple was currently back in Lucas' dorm room under the covers. Riley had decided to fly back to the city to spend some time with Lucas before she would head back to Yale in a couple of days. The both of them had just had a passionate and much needed "Rucas Time". As Riley pulled the blanket up closer to her chin Lucas had to laugh.

"Riley Matthews was never a fan of the cold was she?" Lucas said placing kisses along her collarbone.

"Winter may be beautiful but it is brutal." Riley laughed. "Hey babe…"

"Yes Princess?" Lucas asked.

"Did you mean what you said a couple of days ago? About the fact that you would try to be a much better father?"

"I meant every single word. Especially since it's going to be your children." Lucas laughed.

"I love you Lucas Friar…" Riley smiled. "And I can't wait for the day that I get to have your children."

"That's a long way away. Hopefully the two of us will have stable careers before we think of having children."

"I have no doubt in my mind that we'll both be successful in whatever we choose to do." Riley smiled.

"All that really matters is that we get to the future as soon as possible. Because whenever I am with you, I always imagine what our future will be like. And it always is amazing. Us raising our family here in the city, them going to John Quincy and Abigail Adams like the both of us did. And getting the opportunity to write their own stories here in the city."

"The city that brought two hearts together." Riley smiled as she looked at the two most important charms on her bracelet. They were two charms of the state of New York and Texas beside each other. It reminded her of how two completely different worlds came together to create something beautiful.

"I am so thankful for this city every single day for showing a new side of life I didn't think I would be able to embrace." Lucas laughed. "Just think, if I hadn't moved here to Texas we wouldn't be together right now." Lucas laughed.

"We would have met eventually." Riley replied.

"You think?" Lucas wondered.

"I've mentioned this a million times. You are my ultimate soul mate. The one that I am truly meant to be with. If we didn't end up meeting here in the city, we would have found each other some other way. We could have met in college, at some random bar, we would end up meeting eventually." Riley smiled.

"I'm glad that we've been going on this strong for this many years. Who knew some trouble making teen would be able to hold onto one girl for six whole years." Lucas teased.

"You showed a change in character that's what made me fall in love with you it always has been." Riley smiled.

"Come here…" Lucas said as Riley once again snuggled into his side as Lucas wrapped a protective arm around her small frame. Lucas looked down into those beautiful brunette eyes and saw all of the love and real emotion reflecting back right at him. He had found his forever a long time ago and he planned to hold onto that for while.

* * *

 **July 2021- Austin Texas**

Lucas smiled as he saw Farkle and Zay walking out of the double doors. He was so glad to finally see his lifelong best friends. The three of them hadn't seen each other since Lucas' mom's funeral earlier that year. And so much had changed in the span of five months…even more than the three of them had realized.

"Dude!" Zay said slamming into Lucas and giving him a hug. "I missed you!"

"Zay seriously I have a date tonight with Riles your wrinkling this shirt!" Lucas yelled.

"Oh come on you know you missed us…" Farkle laughed joining in on the group hug.

"As much as I don't want to admit it…I did miss you dorks." Lucas laughed. "How was the semester gentleman?"

"It's the first time I'm getting a straight A average so I would guess that it's going well." Zay laughed.

"I knew you would get there someday." Lucas teased.

"OK even though you're my best friend I am not afraid to throw this boot in your face." Zay said as he threatened to his boot in Lucas' face.

"How about you Luke? How's things going between you and Riley since you're mom's death?" Farkle questioned.

"It's been going well. I don't know how I could have managed to get through all of the pain and sadness without her. I told you all before Riley is the only person who could truly calm me down. " Lucas replied.

"We've known that since the entire Texas mess happened." Farkle laughed.

"Which is why I want you two of you to help me out with something." Lucas said.

"Now you're scaring me…" Zay said nervously. "Normally when you asked the both of us to help you out it means something bad is going to happen or something bad happened. Wait…You don't cheat of cotton candy face did you?" Zay said shocked.

"What?! Of course not!" Lucas shot back. "Trust me this is actually good."

"Then what is it that you want us to help us with?" Farkle asked.

"I want you to help me find a ring. I'm going to propose to Riles tonight…" Lucas smirked.

"Oh my god…" Farkle and Zay said shocked.

* * *

Back at the ranch, Riley had been trying to contact Maya. She hadn't heard from her since her much since she called her on her birthday last year. She knew Maya had a busy life and so did she, but never in a million years did she think that Maya would be the kind of person who would throw their friendship in the backburner.

"Hey peaches it's me…This is probably the millionth voicemail I've left you. So please…Please call me…I…I miss you…I miss us…Please call me back." Riley sighed as she hung up. She was interrupted when she heard someone knocking on the door. "Maya?!" Riley said excitedly. "Eww your not Maya…"

"Nope even better…We're your family." Topanga said as she and the rest of her family including Amy and Alan made there way into Lucas' family ranch.

"Not that I'm not glad that you guys are here…But why all of a sudden?" Riley laughed.

"What? I'm not allowed to check in on my baby girl and see how's she doing?" Cory laughed throwing his backpack onto the couch.

"It's good to see you too daddy…" Riley laughed.

"Now how's about we sit down and just enjoy each others company for the rest of the day?" Topanga laughed as her and Auggie flopped down on the couch in between Riley and Cory. "How has school been treating you?"

"Hectic as usual." Riley replied. "But you know me and Farkle we are always able to face school and kick it's ass hard."

"Trust me I know I still have nightmares of Farkle in my dreams." Cory teased.

"Awww you miss us…" Farkle teased as he walked in the living room with the other two.

"Lucas!" Auggie cheered as he threw himself into Lucas' body. Lucas just laughed as he wrapped his arms around him tightly.

"Hey pal. I missed you." Lucas smiled. "Geez you've grown since Christmas…"

"Well I knew joining the middle school basketball team would have some benefits." Auggie laughed.

"How's about we put your skills to the test?" Zay teased. "A friendly game of two on one after dinner?"

"You're on…" Augie smirked. "This is going to be an easy win." Auggie laughed.

"Don't be too sure of yourself squirt…" Zay laughed.

"Hey Augs do you think me and you could talk in the kitchen for a bit?" Lucas asked.

"Is everything OK?" Auggie asked.

"Don't worry everything is perfect. I'll explain when we're in the kitchen." Lucas said as he gestured for Auggie to follow him.

"So what's up?" Auggie asked as the both of them hopped onto the kitchen counter.

"This is what's up…" Lucas said as he flashed the diamond ring to Auggie.

"Oh my god is that what I think it is?" Auggie said in shock.

"If you think it's an engagement ring then you are right." Lucas laughed. "I wanted to speak to you alone so I can be able to get your blessing for me to propose to your sister."

"Well took you long enough." Auggie laughed.

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked laughing.

"I mean that you and Riley have been practically married since you brought the white horse into the middle school gym and officially crowned her you one and only princess. I was always wondering when you would finally seal the deal and make it official." Auggie laughed. "I honestly thought you would pull a stunt like my mom and propose to her during your high school graduation."

"I got her the promise rings then." Lucas smiled to himself as he rubbed the ring on his left finger.

"And since that moment you have always been the married couple. You might as well seal the deal now." Auggie smiled.

"So that means you approve?" Lucas questioned.

"I've always approved." Auggie smiled. "Welcome to the family big brother."

"Thanks squirt." Lucas said bringing Auggie in for a hug."I'm glad to have you as my little brother."

"And I am so glad that you are finally going to be my older brother." Lucas smiled.

"Thank you for keeping that promise. To never hurt her…" Auggie smiled.

"I promise I will protect her for the rest of her life." Lucas smiled. "She is just too precious."

"And that right there is the reason why you are perfect for her." Auggie smiled. "So when are you going to do it?"

"When everyone is around the dinner table." Lucas smiled. His future was about to start in an hour.

"I hope you're going to be ready to catch my sister. I bet thirty bucks she's going to faint from shock." Auggie teased.

"I did say I would protect her for the rest of my life." Lucas laughed.

* * *

As Topanga and Riley were in the dining room, the rest of the guests started to arrive to the Friar household. Riley smiled as she saw Lucas talking to her dad and Auggie. She loved how naturally he fit into their family. It was something that she had hoped for ever since she fell into his lap in the seventh grade. That he would be accepted by her family and become like one of their children. Topanga laughed as she saw what Riley was looking at.

"It's amazing how he's become a part of this family isn't it?" Topanga smiled.

"It's meant to be." Riley smiled.

"I know it is sweetheart. Any person could tell that you and Lucas are meant to be." Topanga smiled.

"I hope you're right mom." Riley smiled.

"Why don't you go set the table sweetie? It's almost time for dinner. I got to go take the chicken out of the oven anyways." Topanga placed a comforting hand on her daughters shoulders.

As Topanga entered the kitchen and shut the door she turned around and came face to face with her husband and her future son in law.

"I can't believe this…In a couple of minutes my baby's going to be an engaged woman." Topanga whispered.

"I can't wait to make her a married woman…" Lucas smirked.

"One step at a time Chucky…" Topanga laughed. "This took a lot of convincing to finally let Cory agree to let this happen."

"Do you know what you're going to say?" Zay asked.

"I know exactly what I'm going to say as soon as she walks though those doors." Lucas smiled.

"No turning back?" Auggie asked from his spot from the kitchen counter.

"I've been waiting for this moment since the day she fell into my lap in the seventh grade. There is no way I am backing out now." Lucas smiled.

"What's everybody standing around the kitchen for?" Riley giggled.

"Actually Riles we actually need to do something before dinner." Lucas smiled.

"Right! We need to pray and give thanks that we're all together." Riley remembered.

"Not that… Later…" Lucas laughed.

"Then what do we need to do? We've all washed up." Riley said confused.

"It's not something that we need to do…It's something that I need to do." Lucas confessed.

"What do you need to do…" Riley said confused.

"This…" Lucas said as he got down on one knee. He saw Riley's eyes grow wide as she gasped.

"Is this actually happening?" Riley whispered.

"Breathe honey. You're going to want to remember this moment for the rest of your life."Topanga smiled she recorded the special moment on her phone.

"Riley Eleanor Rosie Matthews you are my everything. Ever since that day you fell into my lap on the subway I met the girl I was supposed to be with for the rest of my life. Our love story is one of those special ones you only see on TV or cheesy movies. But the best thing is we both proved that it can happen in real life as well. These past six years I have only been in love with one girl and had eyes for one girl. And it's you. And I want to be able to look at you the same way. I want the opportunity to love you for the rest of our lives. Riley I love you so much. You are my best friend, my love, my anchor. You are my whole world, my princess. And if you give me the chance I promise I will be your prince until the day we die, protecting you from all of the evil things this world will throw at us. " Lucas took the engagement ring out of his jean jacket pocket. "Riley will you make me the happiest man in the entire universe? Will you become Riley Matthews Friar?"

* * *

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_


End file.
